The governance and oversight of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in the District of Columbia has been entrusted to the District of Columbia Department of Health. This is done through a series of laws, regulations, and policies.
The EMS Act of 2008
The EMS Act of 2008 became effective March 25, 2009 as DC Law 17-357, DC Official Code §§ 7-2341.01 et seq. On June 1, 2009 Mayoral Order 2009-89 was issued that the authority granted to the Mayor in the EMS Act was delegated to the Director of the Department of Health.
The EMS Act of 2008 laid the necessary legislative foundation to improve EMS services in the District of Columbia.
District of Columbia Municipal Regulations, Title 29, Section 5
The regulations that govern all aspects of EMS in the District of Columbia can be found in the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR), Title 29, Section 5. With the passage of the EMS Act, the Department of Health was tasked with updating these regulations. That process was completed with the publishing of the new EMS regulations on December 6, 2013.
Department of Health EMS Policies
The Department of Health will issue policies that help guide oversight of EMS services in the District. Policies can be procedural in nature or can be used to help clarify the regulations. The policies have been issued since the passage of the EMS Act. With the publishing of the new EMS regulations, a review of the existing EMS policies will be conducted. The existing policies will be updated or revoked to bring them in alignment with the new EMS regulations. Use the following link to view the EMS Policies.
EMS Handbooks
The Department of Health will issue guidebooks that are intended to help agencies and individuals understand the various EMS services in the District. Use the following link to view the EMS handbooks.
Department of Health EMS Forms
The Department of Health will issue forms that help with the processing of various EMS services in the district. The forms are used to comply with the mandates of the regulations and policies issued by the Department of Health. The EMS Forms issued by the Department of Health will have a form number located in the lower left corner. This number corresponds to the policy that governs the form’s usage. If multiple forms are released under a single policy, they will have a letter suffix to aid in its identification. Like the EMS policies, the current EMS forms will undergo a review to bring them in alignment with the new regulations. The updates will be added here. Use the following link to view the EMS forms.
Department of Health EMS Complaint Process
The Department of Health has issued a Complaint and Investigation Process policy that can be found under the policies page. To file a complaint with the Department of Health EMS Program, please complete the below form and return via email to [email protected] or Mail to:
DC Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Administration (HEPRA)
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Program
899 North Capitol Street, NE, 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20002