36-2209. Powers and duties of the director

A. The director shall:

1. Appoint and define the duties and prescribe the terms of employment of all employees of the bureau.

2. Adopt rules necessary for the operation of the bureau and for carrying out the purposes of this chapter.

3. Cooperate with and assist the personnel of emergency receiving facilities and other health care institutions in preparing a plan to be followed by emergency receiving facilities and health care institutions in the event of a major disaster.

4. Cooperate with the state director of emergency management when a state of emergency or a state of war emergency has been declared by the governor.

B. The director may:

1. Request the cooperation of utilities, communications media and public and private agencies to aid and assist in implementing and maintaining a statewide emergency medical services system.

2. Enter into contracts and agreements with any local governmental entity, agency, facility or group that provides a similar program of emergency medical services in a contiguous state.

3. Enter into contracts and agreements to acquire and purchase any equipment, tools, supplies, materials and services necessary to administer this chapter.

4. Enter into contracts with emergency receiving facilities, governmental entities, emergency rescue services, air ambulance services and ambulance services and establish emergency medical services, including emergency receiving facilities, if necessary to ensure the availability and quality of emergency medical services.

5. Accept and spend federal funds and private grants, gifts, contributions and devises to assist in carrying out the purposes of this chapter. These funds do not revert to the state general fund at the close of a fiscal year.

6. Establish an emergency medical services notification system that uses existing telephone communications networks.

7. Contract with private telephone companies to establish a statewide emergency reporting telephone number.

8. Authorize the testing entity to collect fees determined by the director. In determining fees for testing entities, the director shall consider the fees required by national certification organizations.