{"data":{"id":"us-dc/d.c.-code-5-401","jurisdiction":"us-dc","citation":"D.C. Code § 5-401","heading":"Area of service; division of District into fire companies; pre-hospital care and services; approval required for major changes in manner of fire protection.","body":"(a)\nThe Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (“Department”) shall provide fire prevention and fire protection within the geographical boundaries of the District of Columbia. The District shall be divided into such fire companies, and other units as the Council of the District of Columbia may from time to time direct. Major changes in the manner the Department provides fire protection and fire prevention shall be approved by act of the Council.\n\n(b)\n(1)\nThe Department shall provide pre-hospital medical care and transport within the geographical boundaries of the District of Columbia. Major changes in the manner the Department provides emergency medical services shall be approved by act of the Council.\n(2)\nNotwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, the Department may contract with third parties to provide supplemental pre-hospital medical care and transportation to persons requiring Basic Life Support.\n(3)\nA contract entered into pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection shall include a provision that precludes the District from liability for any claims arising out of the actions of the third-party contractor and also provides full indemnification to ensure that the District shall not be responsible for any amounts owed to others as a result of the third-party contractor's action or inaction under the contract.\n\n(b-1)\nThe Department shall establish a community cardiopulmonary resuscitation program to conduct cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and emergency medical application training for District residents and employees within the following District facilities:\n(1)\nDistrict of Columbia Public Schools;\n(2)\nDistrict of Columbia Public Charter Schools;\n(3)\nDistrict of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation facilities; and\n(4)\nAny other District of Columbia government buildings.\n\n(c)\nRepealed.\n\n(d)\nEach third-party contractor that enters into a contract pursuant to subsection (b)(2) of this section shall provide an annual report to the Department and to the Council that includes the following information:\n(1)\nThe number of transports performed;\n(2)\nThe average time between the dispatch of the third-party contractor by the Department and the third-party contractor's arrival to the patient;\n(3)\nRepealed.\n(4)\nThe average transport time from the location where the third-party contractor meets each patient to the healthcare facility to which the patient is transported;\n(5)\nRepealed.\n(6)\nRepealed.\n(7)\nThe range of third-party contractor ambulances available for Department use throughout a 24-hour period;\n(8)\nThe length of the third-party contractor's personnel shifts;\n(9)\nThe number of employees hired by the third-party contractor and their residency; and\n(10)\nThe number of patients who used the third-party contractor's services twice or more times during the reporting period, including the number of times the patient used the services during the previous 12 months.\n(11)\nRepealed.\n(12)\nRepealed.\n\n(e)\nRepealed.\n\n(e-1)\nNo later than January 31 of each year, the Mayor shall provide to the Council a report that includes the following information for the previous fiscal year:\n(1)\nThe number of calls dispatched;\n(2)\nThe number of patients transported via Department Basic Life Support, Advanced Life Support, and by the third-party contractor;\n(3)\nThe average hospital drop time per month that the Department's and the third-party contractor's ambulances remained out of service while waiting to transfer the care of a patient to a healthcare facility;\n(4)\nThe number of patients who used the Department's transport service twice or more during the reporting period, including the number of times the patient used transport services during the previous 12 months;\n(5)\nThe number of total in-service training hours provided to Department uniformed employees;\n(6)\nIn-service time or uptime data for Department ambulances, engines, and ladder trucks;\n(7)\nAggregate Department response time data;\n(8)\nAggregate patient care and outcomes data;\n(9)\nChanges to protocols or policies to reroute non-emergency calls;\n(10)\nAn assessment of the number of units, the number of personnel, the amount of training, and associated costs required to provide pre-hospital medical care and transportation without the use of third parties; and\n(11)\nOther key performance indicators and workload measures as appropriate.\n\n(f)\nRepealed.\n\n(g)\nRepealed.\n\n(h)\nFor the purposes of this section, the term:\n(1)\n\"Advanced life support\" means a level of medical care provided by pre-hospital emergency medical services at the paramedic level and in accordance with the national scope of practice for an advanced level provider.\n(1A)\n\"Basic Life Support\" means a level of medical care provided by pre-hospital emergency medical services at the basic emergency response technician level and in accordance with the national scope of practice for a basic level provider.\n(2)\n\"Patient care report\" means a paper or electronic document that details the patient's pre-hospital status and condition and medication administered by a member of the Department or third-party contractor, from the time of the emergency call to the handover of the patient to a healthcare facility.","path":["Title 5. Police, Firefighters, Medical Examiner, and Forensic Sciences.","Chapter 4. Fire and Emergency Services Department.","Subchapter I. General."],"source_url":"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/5-401","current_through":"2026-08-20 (D.C. Law 26-175)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-29T05:44:07Z","sha256":"e9de9a6854e4fc7f065059ba1948976c3f2b62e1c3c03a8c08819f8b0b7b1990","source_id":"us-dc","stale":false,"prev":"us-dc/d.c.-code-5-353.01","next":"us-dc/d.c.-code-5-401.01"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}