23-27.1-01. Purpose

23-27.1-01. Purpose To protect the public through verification of competency and ensure accountability for patient care-related activities all states license emergency medical services personnel, such as emergency medical technicians, advanced emergency medical technicians, and paramedics. This compact is intended to facilitate the day-to-day movement of emergency medical services personnel across state boundaries in the performance of their emergency medical services duties as assigned by an appropriate authority and authorize state emergency medical services offices to afford immediate legal recognition to emergency medical services personnel licensed in a member state. This compact recognizes states have a vested interest in protecting the public's health and safety through their licensing and regulation of emergency medical services personnel and state regulation shared among the member states will best protect public health and safety. This compact is designed to achieve the following purposes and objectives: 1. Increase public access to emergency medical services personnel; 2. Enhance the states' ability to protect the public's health and safety, especially patient safety; 3. Encourage the cooperation of member states in the areas of emergency medical services personnel licensure and regulation; 4. Support licensing of military members who are separating from an active duty tour and their spouses; 5. Facilitate the exchange of information between member states regarding emergency medical services personnel licensure, adverse action, and significant investigatory information; 6. Promote compliance with the laws governing emergency medical services personnel practice in each member state; and 7. Invest all member states with the authority to hold emergency medical services personnel accountable through the mutual recognition of member state licenses.