Which of the following describes Tier I transport personnel qualifications?

• A. Any EMT.
• B. Hospital staff.
• C. Licensed Illinois Paramedic, PHRN, PHPA, or PHAPRN with a scope of practice more comprehensive than the national EMS model.
• D. Only physicians on scene.

Answer: (C)

Tier I transport personnel qualifications are about who is authorized to be the transport team with the level of authority and skills needed during prehospital transport. In Illinois, that means licensed professionals whose scope of practice is broader than the national EMS model. Licensed Illinois paramedics and advanced practice paramedics (PHRN, PHPA, PHAPRN) fit this description because their training allows them to perform more complex procedures and make more extensive in-transport care decisions. An EMT alone doesn’t meet Tier I because their scope is more limited, and hospital staff aren’t the field transport personnel responsible for on-scene transport care. Physicians on scene may supervise or provide care but aren’t the designated transport personnel with the required in-transit scope. So the description that best matches Tier I transport personnel qualifications is the licensed Illinois paramedics or equivalent advanced practice paramedics with an expanded scope.