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4 <br />Attachment 1 <br />New and/or Evolved Duties and Responsibilities <br />For Orange County EMT-Paramedics <br />• Assesses the patient and decides whether to release the patient; treat and release the <br />patient; treat and refer the patient or treat and transport the patient by ambulance. <br />• Exercises judgment and upgrades and/or downgrades the type of call given from the <br />Telecommunicatorcuch as whether to dispatch or not dispatch an ambulance, air medical <br />care or other. <br />• Responds to calls in an Initial Response Vehicle without a partner rather than on an <br />ambulance as part of a paramedic crew. In this way is responsible for independently making <br />care determinations in accordance with protocols and consultation with the medical director. <br />• Based on the Paramedic's assessment, may decline to provide transportation to patients <br />who do not require follow-up treatment at the hospital. When needed, offers patients other <br />transportation alternatives rather than ambulance transport. <br />• Instead of immobilizing every patient after a car crash, identifies spinal injuries through <br />advanced assessment techniques and decides whether or not to immobilize the patient <br />through the use of backboards and collars. <br />• Visits the homes of newborn babies to conduct safety inspections and provides parents with <br />information on how to ensure safety in their homes. <br />• Provides grief counseling to bereaved persons and remains on scene until Medical <br />Examiner or law enforcement arrives. <br />• Provides a variety of advanced life support procedures (i.e. surgical airway procedure, <br />thyroid membrane incision, cervical spine injury assessment and the like). <br />• It now is required that employees receive the following certifications after being hired with <br />Orange County: <br />/ ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support), <br />/ PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support), and <br />/ BTLS (Basic Trauma Life Support) or PHTLS (Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support). <br />Due to the IRV system Paramedic responsibilities, EMS also now prefers that an applicant <br />have the certifications prior to employment. <br />