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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session
AMENDED
election
board workers; political party
(NOW: police dogs; emergency treatment)
As passed by the Senate, S.B. 1068 required the inspector, marshal and judges of an election board for an election precinct, voting center or other voting location to include board members who are members of the two political parties that cast the highest number of votes in the state at the last general election.
The House of Representatives adopted a strike-everything amendment that does the following:
Purpose
Requires each ambulance service to authorize the service's properly trained emergency medical care technicians (EMCTs) to provide emergency treatment to a police dog and to transport the police dog by ground ambulance or another emergency medical services vehicle to a veterinary clinic or hospital equipped to provide emergency treatment to dogs.
Background
An ambulance is any privately or publicly owned surface, water or air vehicle that contains a stretcher and necessary medical equipment and supplies and that is especially designed and constructed or modified and equipped to be used, maintained or operated primarily to transport individuals who are sick, injured, wounded or who require medical monitoring or aid. Ambulances provide emergency medical services following an accident or an emergency medical situation, including: 1) on-site emergency medical care; 2) transportation of the sick or injured; 3) emergency communications media; 4) use of emergency receiving facilities; and 5) administering initial care and preliminary treatment procedures by EMCTs. An ambulance service is any person who owns or operates one or more ambulances (A.R.S. § 36-2201).
An emergency medical care technician is an individual who has been
certified by the Department of Health Services (DHS) as an emergency medical
technician, an advanced emergency medical technician, an emergency medical
technician I-99 or a paramedic (A.R.S.
§ 36-2201). DHS rules
outline the medical services included in the scope of practice of an EMCT,
including airway clearage, oxygen therapy, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, defibrillation,
medication administration, intravenous fluid administration and maintenance, childbirth
and blood glucose monitoring (A.A.C. R9-25-502).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires each ambulance service to require the service's properly trained EMCTs and ambulance attendants to:
a) transport a police dog that is injured in the line of duty, along with a police officer trained in dog handling if one is available; and
b) transport the police dog, along with a police officer or other police personnel who are medically trained, by ground ambulance or another emergency medical services vehicle to a veterinary clinic or veterinary hospital equipped to provide emergency treatment to dogs.
2. Allows an ambulance service to authorize the service's EMCTs to provide emergency treatment to a police dog injured in the line of duty, if properly trained.
3. Specifies that EMCTs are authorized to provide emergency medical care to police dogs only if a person is not requiring emergency medical treatment or transport at that time.
4. Stipulates that police dogs injured in the line of duty may only be transported by ground ambulance if: a) the transport is not expected to take more than 30 minutes from the point of pickup to the veterinary clinic or hospital; b) the ambulance service has at least one additional ground ambulance that is in service and available to respond to emergency calls; c) the transport by a police officer in the police officer's emergency vehicle is not deemed to be more safe and more expeditious than transport by a ground ambulance.
5. Specifies that this legislation does not preclude a police officer who is trained in dog handling from choosing to transport the injured police dog in the police officer's own emergency vehicle.
6. Allows each ambulance service to develop written policies and procedures for:
a) appropriate training of the ambulance service's EMCT personnel to provide police dogs with basic level first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and life-saving interventions, including administering Naloxone, that are developed in consultation with a veterinarian who is licensed in Arizona;
b) safe handling procedures for injured police dogs, including the use of a box muzzle, and response coordination with a law enforcement agency member who is trained in handling police dogs, that are developed in consultation with a veterinarian who is licensed in Arizona and a law enforcement police dog handler or trainer;
c) identification of local veterinary facilities that will provide emergency treatment of injured police dogs on short notice;
d) proper and complete decontamination of stretchers, the patient compartment and all contaminated medical equipment after a police dog has been transported by an ambulance or other emergency medical services vehicle; and
e) sterilization of the interior of an ambulance or other emergency medical services vehicle, including complete sanitizing of all allergens and disinfection to a standard safe for human transport before the ambulance or other vehicle is returned to human service.
7. Provides that EMCTs and any other certified personnel who, in the performance of the person's duties and in good faith, render emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, transportation or other emergency medical services to an injured police dog, are not personally liable as a result of rendering such aid or services.
8. Allows an ambulance service that provides transport for an inured police dog to bill the governmental entity that owns the police dog for the cost of the transport.
9. Stipulates that EMCTs that provide emergency treatment to injured police dogs and specified physicians who provide administrative medical direction or online medical direction within the emergency medical services and trauma system are not required to be licensed as veterinarians.
10. Defines police dog as a specifically trained dog that is owned or used by a law enforcement department or agency of Arizona or any political subdivision and that is used in the course of the department's or agency's official work, including:
a) search and rescue dogs;
b) service dogs;
c) accelerant detection canine; or
d) any other dog that is in use by the law enforcement agency for official duties.
11. Makes technical changes.
12. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by the House of Representatives
· Adopted the strike-everything amendment.
Amendments Adopted by Conference Committee
1. Requires ambulance services to authorize the services' EMCTs and ambulance attendants to transport an injured police dog, along with a police officer who is trained in dog handling, if one is available.
2. Adds stipulations to transporting injured police dogs in ambulances to include that:
a) the transport of the injured police dog is not expected to take more than 30 minutes;
b) the ambulance service has at least one additional ambulance that is in service and available to respond to emergency calls;
c) police dogs may only be transported in ground ambulances;
d) transport of the police dog in the police officer's own emergency vehicle is not deemed more safe or expeditious than transport by ambulance; and
e) that a police officer trained in dog handling is not precluded from choosing to transport the police dog in the officer's own emergency vehicle.
3. Allows ambulance services that transport injured police dogs to bill the governmental entity for the cost of the transport.
4. Exempts EMCTs and certain physicians who may be involved in providing care to injured police dogs from being required to be licensed as veterinarians.
House Action
MAPS 3/27/23 DPA/SE 15-0-0-0
3rd Read 4/25/23 56-2-1-0-1
Prepared by Senate Research
June 13, 2023
ZD/sr