§ 3005-a. Staffing standards; ambulance services and advanced life
support first response services. 1. The following staffing standards
shall be in effect unless otherwise provided by this section:

(a) effective January first, nineteen hundred ninety-seven the minimum
staffing standard for a registered ambulance service shall be a
certified first responder with the patient;

(b) effective January first, two thousand, the minimum staffing
standard for a voluntary ambulance service shall be an emergency medical
technician with the patient;

(c) the minimum staffing standard for all other ambulance services
shall be an emergency medical technician with the patient; and

(d) the minimum staffing standard for an advanced life support first
response service shall be an advanced emergency medical technician with
the patient. Circumstances permitting other than advanced life support
care by an advanced life support first response service may be
established by rule by the state council, subject to the approval of the
commissioner.

2. Any service granted an exemption by the regional council pursuant
to subdivision five-a of section three thousand three of this article
shall be subject to the standards and terms of the exemption.

3. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, the effective
date of the standards established by this section shall be delayed by
one year for each fiscal year, prior to January first, two thousand, in
which the amounts appropriated are less than that which would have been
expended pursuant to the provisions of section ninety-seven-q of the
state finance law.