Public Health Law § 3000-B (Automated external defibrillators: Public access providers)

§ 3000-b. Automated external defibrillators: Public access providers.

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a) "Automated external defibrillator" means a medical device, approved by the United States food and drug administration, that: (i) is capable of recognizing the presence or absence, in a patient, of ventricular fibrillation and rapid ventricular tachycardia; (ii) is capable of determining, without intervention by an operator, whether defibrillation should be performed on the patient; (iii) upon determining that defibrillation should be performed, automatically charges and requests delivery of an electrical impulse to the patient's heart; and (iv) then, upon action by an operator, delivers an appropriate electrical impulse to the patient's heart to perform defibrillation.

(b) "Emergency health care provider" means (i) a physician with knowledge and experience in the delivery of emergency cardiac care; or (ii) a hospital licensed under article twenty-eight of this chapter that provides emergency cardiac care.

(c) "Public access defibrillation provider" means a person, firm, organization or other entity possessing or operating an automated external defibrillator pursuant to a collaborative agreement under this section.

(d) "Nationally-recognized organization" means a national organization approved by the department for the purpose of training people in use of an automated external defibrillator.

2. Collaborative agreement. A person, firm, organization or other entity may purchase, acquire, possess and operate an automated external defibrillator pursuant to a collaborative agreement with an emergency health care provider. The collaborative agreement shall include a written agreement and written practice protocols, and policies and procedures that shall assure compliance with this section. The public access defibrillation provider shall file a copy of the collaborative agreement with the department and with the appropriate regional council prior to operating the automated external defibrillator.

3. Possession and operation of automated external defibrillator. Possession and operation of an automated external defibrillator by a public access defibrillation provider shall comply with the following:

(a) No person may operate an automated external defibrillator unless the person has successfully completed a training course in the operation of an automated external defibrillator approved by a nationally-recognized organization or the state emergency medical services council. However, this section shall not prohibit operation of an automated external defibrillator, (i) by a health care practitioner licensed or certified under title VIII of the education law or a person certified under this article acting within his or her lawful scope of practice or (ii) by a person acting pursuant to a lawful prescription.

(b) The public access defibrillation provider shall cause the automated external defibrillator to be maintained and tested according to applicable standards of the manufacturer and any appropriate government agency.

(c) The public access defibrillation provider shall notify the regional council of the existence, location and type of any automated external defibrillator it possesses.

(d) Every use of an automated external defibrillator on a patient shall be immediately reported to the appropriate local emergency medical services system, emergency communications center or emergency vehicle dispatch center as appropriate and promptly reported to the emergency health care provider.

(e) The emergency health care provider shall participate in the regional quality improvement program pursuant to subdivision one of section three thousand four-a of this article.

4. Application of other laws.

(a) Operation of an automated external defibrillator pursuant to this section shall be considered first aid or emergency treatment for the purpose of any statute relating to liability.

(b) Operation of an automated external defibrillator pursuant to this section shall not constitute the unlawful practice of a profession under title VIII of the education law.