The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) provides legal advice to the EMS Board, the Statewide EMS Advisory Council, and MIEMSS in connection with all aspects of EMS, the ongoing administrative functions of the agency, and the regulation of commercial ambulance services. OAG supports MIEMSS in promulgating and implementing the agency’s regulations, procurement, personnel matters, and contracts, including technology initiatives, as well by assisting in the administration of state and federal grant programs.

The following are activities of the OAG:

• Ensure the safety and reliability of the Maryland EMS system by advising the MIEMSS Office of Integrity on matters concerning EMS clinician compliance and prohibited conduct. It also serves as the administrative prosecutor for cases involving allegations of prohibited acts by EMS clinicians before the EMS Provider Review Panel, the EMS Board, and the Office of Administrative Hearings.
• Provides legal advice to the State Office of Commercial Ambulance Licensing and Regulation (SOCALR) in compliance matters and questions of regulatory interpretation, and provided support to the Commercial Ambulance Services Advisory Committee. This year, OAG assisted SOCALR with amending regulations to expand access to care in Maryland by updating the staffing standards for advanced life support ambulances. Assistant Attorneys General helped the Office of Care Integration to monitor compliance requirements of specialty referral centers and provided advice on the Maryland Public Access Defibrillation program and the AED Registry.
• Advises the Office of EMS Clinician Services on regulatory amendments to update the requirements for licensure, certification, and renewals, and implementing new laws on the restricted use of social security numbers in the licensure process.
• Assists MIEMSS in its commitment to public education and research by providing advice and support regarding data and information access. Assistant Attorneys General provide advice on sharing of data and information with the public and other EMS stakeholders, while maintaining patient confidentiality. OAG also negotiates data use agreements to support research projects using EMS data.
• Supports Maryland Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST), which provides patients with the legal means for communicating medical care wishes to EMS and other health care professionals. The public can download the MOLST form from the MIEMSS website, and MIEMSS provides hard copies for those individuals without internet access.