(a) General.   (1) A course coordinator is an individual who has the overall responsibility for conducting an emergency medical services (EMS) training course under the direction of an approved EMS training program (program).   (2) A course coordinator must be certified as at least an emergency medical technician (EMT), and must be certified or licensed at or above the level of the course being coordinated.   (3) Course coordinator certification is dependent on the individual's EMS personnel certification and is subject to the same status as that personnel certification. If the department imposes disciplinary action in accordance with §157.16 of this title (relating to Emergency Suspension, Suspension, Probation, Revocation or Denial of a Provider License) or §157.36 of this title (relating to Criteria for Denial and Disciplinary Actions for EMS Personnel and Voluntary Surrender of a Certificate or License), the action shall also be imposed automatically and immediately on the individual's course coordinator certification. (b) Levels of certification. Course coordinators may be certified as a basic coordinator or as an advanced coordinator. (c) Currently certified course coordinators. Course coordinators certified on the effective date of this rule shall be considered to have met the requirements of subsection (d) or (e) of this section appropriate to their current level of certification. (d) Basic coordinator requirements. To be certified as a basic course coordinator, the candidate shall:   (1) submit an application for basic course coordinator certification along with the nonrefundable fee of $60 to the Texas Department of Health (department) except a fee shall not be required if compensation is not received for coordinating training courses or programs;   (2) have been a certified EMS instructor for at least two consecutive years;   (3) have documented not less than 120 hours of instruction for initial EMS certificants; or have successfully conducted an EMT-Basic course;   (4) submit documentation of positive evaluations as a certified instructor.   (5) be affiliated with and operate under the supervision of a licensed provider, an EMS medical director, a teaching hospital, a regionally accredited post-secondary educational institution and/or a health care institution accredited by an organization recognized by the department;   (6) submit letters of intent from qualified providers of clinical and field internship experience;   (7) have successfully completed a department-sponsored course coordinator training course; and   (8) after completing all the above requirements, pass the EMS coordinator exam and retest, if necessary, no later than one year after course completion date. The nonrefundable retest fee is $30, except a fee shall not be required if compensation is not received for coordinating training courses or programs. If requirements are not completed within one year after course completion date, the candidate must meet the requirements of subsection (d) of this section including the completion of another initial course to be certified. (e) Advanced coordinator requirements. To be certified as an advanced course coordinator, the candidate shall:   (1) submit an application for advanced course coordinator certification along with the nonrefundable fee of $60 to the department; except a fee shall not be required if compensation is not received for coordinating training courses or programs;   (2) have an associate degree, a bachelor degree, or an advanced degree;   (3) have been a certified EMS instructor for at least four consecutive years or as a basic course coordinator for two consecutive years;   (4) have documented not less than 120 hours of instruction for initial EMS certificants;   (5) submit documentation of positive evaluations as a certified instructor or as a basic coordinator;   (6) be affiliated with and operate under the supervision of a regionally accredited post-secondary educational institution, a health care institution accredited by an organization recognized by the department, or another entity approved by the department to sponsor an advanced training program in accordance with §157.32 of this title (relating to EMS Education Program and Course Approval);   (7) submit a letter of intent from qualified providers of clinical and field internship experience;   (8) have successfully completed a department-sponsored course coordinator training course;   (9) after completing all the above requirements, pass the EMS coordinator exam and retest, if necessary, no later than one year after course completion date. The nonrefundable retest fee is $30, except a fee shall not be required if compensation is not received for coordinating training courses or programs. If requirements are not completed within one year after course completion date, the candidate must meet the requirements of subsection (e) of this section including the completion of another initial course to be certified; and   (10) candidates who hold current basic coordinator certification and are applying for advanced coordinator certification must complete all requirements of this subsection except paragraphs (e)(8) and (e)(9) of this subsection. (f) Period of Certification. After verification by the department of the information submitted by the candidate, the candidate who meets the requirements of the applicable subsection (d) or (e) of this section shall be certified as an course coordinator for two years commencing on the date of issuance of the certificate. (g) Course coordinator training. All course coordinator courses shall be conducted by the department or by the department in conjunction with a regionally accredited post-secondary educational institution approved by the department to sponsor a training program. Criteria for admission to coordinator training shall be as follows:   (1) the candidate for admission to course coordinator training will meet the requirements of subsection (d) or (e) of this section as appropriate to the level of certification desired;   (2) the candidate shall submit a resume and completed application to the appropriate department regional EMS office;   (3) the appropriate department regional EMS director will forward the application and attachments to the appropriate training facility with a recommendation regarding the candidate's admission status; and   (4) successful candidates will be given a seat in the class based on availability and admissions requirements. (h) Responsibilities. Course coordinator shall have the following responsibilities:   (1) plan for and evaluate the overall operation of assigned courses;   (2) provide supervision and oversight for assigned courses;   (3) act as liaison between the students, personnel instructing in assigned courses, the program, and the department;   (4) coordinate submission of course approval documents and fees, if applicable, for assigned courses to the department as defined in the Education and Training Manual;   (5) assure availability of classrooms and other facilities necessary to provide for the instruction and convenience of students enrolled in assigned courses;   (6) in cooperation with the training program, process student applications and select students;   (7) schedule classes and assign program instructors;   (8) assure that training equipment and supplies are available and operational for each laboratory session;   (9) maintain effective relationships with clinical and field internships facilities necessary to meeting the instructional objectives of assigned courses;   (10) develop field internship and clinical objectives for assigned courses;   (11) train and evaluate internship preceptors;   (12) in cooperation with the training program, maintain all course records for a minimum of five years;   (13) in cooperation with the training program coordinate course written examinations, skills proficiency verifications, and other student evaluations;   (14) in cooperation with the training program evaluate the effectiveness of the personnel who instruct in assigned courses;   (15) in cooperation with the training program supervise and evaluate the effectiveness of the clinical and field internship training for assigned courses; and   (16) in cooperation with the training program attest to the successful course completion of all students who meet the program's requirements for completion. (i) Exception. A program may request the department to grant an exception to allow a person not currently certified as a course coordinator to temporarily perform the duties listed in subsection (h) of this section.   (1) Such request must be submitted in writing and must include the following:     (A) documentation of the urgency of the situation;     (B) a letter from the program endorsing the individual who is to temporarily perform the duties of course coordinator; and     (C) letters of intent from qualified providers of clinical and field internship experiences appropriate to the level of training to be offered; and     (D) a letter of intent from a medical director.   (2) In determining whether the request for an exception is to be approved or denied, the department shall consider but not be limited to the following issues:     (A) resignation of a previous course coordinator or the inability of a course coordinator to complete a current training course;     (B) need for training in an area where a certified course coordinator is not available within a reasonable distance and training is unavailable through no outreach or distance learning technology; and     (C) the probable adverse consequences to prehospital emergency care. if the exception is not approved.   (3) After evaluation by the department, the program shall be notified, in writing, of the approval or denial of the request.   (4) An individual who is approved shall be considered a temporary course coordinator for not more than two years . If all requirements for course coordinator certification are not met in the two-year period, the approved training program with which the coordinator is affiliated must demonstrate a continuing need for the exception. If the department does not continue the exception, temporary status shall cease and the individual may no longer function as a temporary course coordinator. (j) Recertification.   (1) Prior to the expiration of a course coordinator certificate, the department shall send a notice of expiration to the certificant at the address shown in the current records of the department. It is the responsibility of course coordinators to notify the department of any change of address.   (2) If a certificant has not received notice of expiration from the department 30 days prior to the expiration, it is the duty of the certificant to notify the department and request an application for recertification. Failure to apply for recertification shall result in expiration of the certificate.   (3) To be eligible for recertification, the course coordinator shall meet recertification requirements during the latest coordinator certification period and:     (A) maintain active EMS certification as required in subsection (a)(2) of this section;     (B) attend regional updates for course coordinator as required by the department;     (C) maintain association with:       (i) an approved basic or advanced program if recertifying as a basic coordinator;       (ii) an approved advanced program if recertifying as an advanced coordinator;     (D) maintain affiliation with entities which provide clinical and field internship experience;     (E) submit an application for recertification and a nonrefundable fee as in subsection (d) or (e) of this section;   (4) After verification by the department of the information submitted the course coordinator who meets the requirements of subsection (d) or (e) of this section shall be recertified for two years commencing on the date following the expiration of the last certificate. (k) Late recertification.   (1) An application for recertification shall be considered late if the application and nonrefundable fee are received after the most recent certificate has expired and if all requirements for recertification are not met prior to the end of the most recent certification period.   (2) A course coordinator who has not recertified prior to the end of his most recent certification period is not certified and may not perform the duties of a course coordinator. (l) To be eligible for recertification, the candidate shall meet the following:   (1) A candidate whose certificate has been expired for 90 days or less may renew the certificate by submitting an application and paying a nonrefundable renewal fee that is equal to 1-1/2 times the normally required application renewal fee for that level as listed in subsection (d) or (e) of this section. Cont'd...