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Skills
Drill |
PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION |
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Overview |
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Advanced life support (ALS) providers1
in the CSEMS Council region must successfully
complete a minimum of two (2) skills proficiency
evaluations (skills drills) each calendar year, and
may not miss consecutive skills drills, to maintain
active ALS privileges. Triannual skills drills are
conducted at multiple locations in the months of
February, June and October. |
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Procedure |
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Skills
drills are conducted in accordance with the
following guidelines: |
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All providers
are required to take a written examination based
on the current CSEMS Council Prehospital
Standard Patient Treatment Protocols. A passing
score on the written test is 80%. |
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A provider
scoring less than 80% on the written test is be
required to complete a skill evaluation station.
Successful completion of the skill evaluation
station negates a failing score on the written
test. |
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A lottery is
conducted to randomly select 25% of the
providers present at the drill to complete a
skill evaluation station. The remaining
providers that score 80% or better on the
written examination are excused from the drill
after completing any additional educational
components of the session. |
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Any currently
suspended provider is required to complete a
skill evaluation station. |
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A provider that
scores less than 80% on the written test and/or
fails the skill evaluation station is given an
opportunity to retest at the same skills drill
or another skills drill during the month. If the
provider elects to attend a second skills drill,
the provider must register for that drill.
Approval to attend the second drill will be
contingent on the number of providers registered
for the drill and the evaluator staffing
arranged for the drill. |
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An ALS provider’s
privileges are suspended if the provider: |
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Misses more than
one skills drill during the calendar year. |
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Misses
consecutive skills drills. |
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Fails the
prescribed testing at a skills drill. |
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An ALS provider’s
privileges are reinstated after successfully
completing a regularly scheduled skills drill.2 |
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Agency leadership and
Operational Medical Directors are automatically
notified by the CSEMS Council, within two weeks of a
skills drill cycle, that an ALS provider has failed
to comply with skills drill requirements or has
failed a skills drill. |
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Suspended ALS providers are permitted to perform ALS
skills if they are under direct supervision3
of a CSEMS Council regional preceptor that is
authorized to precept at the suspended provider’s
level. |
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Exemptions |
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Agencies may elect to
exempt career ALS personnel from skills drills. Each
career agency that desires to exempt personnel from
a skills drill is required to submit a roster of
active personnel during each skills drill month.
Providers that hold volunteer affiliation who are
listed on a career agency roster will not be
required to abide by skills drill requirements. |
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ALS providers enrolled
in an ALS course that increases their level of
training will be exempt from skills drills that fall
within the course dates (e.g. EMT-Enhanced provider
enrolled in an EMT-Intermediate program). The
provider is responsible to provide written notice to
CSEMS Council when enrolled in such a program. |
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ALS providers who take a
leave of absence are responsible to provide written
notice to the CSEMS Council. Providers returning to
active duty may not resume active ALS privileges
until successfully completing a skills drill. |
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Passes |
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A provider that attends
a skills drill, who satisfactorily completes a skill
evaluation station following selection by the
lottery, will be provided a pass that can be applied
to exempt him/her from a subsequent skill evaluation
station, subject to the following conditions: |
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The pass must be
used in the same calendar year. |
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The pass may not
be used if the provider is required to take the
skill evaluation station due to failure of the
written skills drill examination. |
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The pass may not
be used if the provider is required to take the
skill evaluation station due to failure of a
previous skill evaluation station. |
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The provider
must present the original pass issued at the
prior skills drill. |
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The pass is
non-transferable. |
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When a provider presents a
pass at a skills drill, a substitute lottery number
will be drawn to replace the exempt provider. |
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Notes |
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1
EMT-Enhanced, EMT-Intermediate, EMT-Paramedic, Shock
Trauma Technician and Cardiac Technician. |
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2
Providers desiring to be reinstated may not
participate in a skills drill that occurs in the
same month as the skills drill resulting in the
suspension. |
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3
Working at the side of the ALS provider either on
the scene or in the back of an ambulance constitutes
direct supervision. |
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Contact Us |
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For additional information
on ALS skills drills, contact the CSEMS Council at
540-886-3676 or
csems@vaems.org. |
