Emergency medical service personnel training program — Assistance to persons with disabilities — Requirements — Law enforcement officer training — Definitions.
RCW 43.70.490
in effect(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department, in collaboration with the department of social and health services, the state fire marshal's office, the superintendent of public instruction, and the Washington state council of firefighters, must review existing local training programs and training programs being used in other states and design a statewide training program that will familiarize fire department and emergency medical service personnel with the techniques, procedures, and protocols for best handling situations in which persons with disabilities are present at the scene of an emergency in order to maximize the safety of persons with disabilities, minimize the likelihood of injury to persons with disabilities, and promote the safety of all persons present. The program must include a checklist of disabilities, symptoms of such disabilities, and things to do and not to do relevant to a particular disability so fire department and emergency medical services personnel can easily and quickly determine the specific scenario into which they are entering. The department must make the training program available on the department's website for use by all fire departments and emergency medical service agencies in the state. The department must include on its website a list of public and private nonprofit disability-related agencies and organizations and the contact information of each agency and organization. Fire departments and emergency medical service agencies must ensure their employees are adequately trained in and familiarized with techniques, procedures, and protocols for best handling situations in which persons with particular disabilities are present at the scene of an emergency. (2) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the criminal justice training commission, in consultation with the Washington state patrol and other stakeholders, must examine existing training programs and curricula related to law enforcement officers responding to an emergency where a person with a disability may be present, to ensure that those programs and curricula are consistent with best practices. (3) For purposes of this section: (a) Both "accident" and "emergency" mean an unforeseen combination of circumstances or a resulting situation that results in a need for assistance or relief and calls for immediate action; and (b) "Persons with disabilities" means individuals who have been diagnosed medically to have a physical, mental, emotional, intellectual, behavioral, developmental, or sensory disability.
(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department, in collaboration with the department of social and health services, the state fire marshal's office, the superintendent of public instruction, and the Washington state council of firefighters, must review existing local training programs and training programs being used in other states and design a statewide training program that will familiarize fire department and emergency medical service personnel with the techniques, procedures, and protocols for best handling situations in which persons with disabilities are present at the scene of an emergency in order to maximize the safety of persons with disabilities, minimize the likelihood of injury to persons with disabilities, and promote the safety of all persons present. The program must include a checklist of disabilities, symptoms of such disabilities, and things to do and not to do relevant to a particular disability so fire department and emergency medical services personnel can easily and quickly determine the specific scenario into which they are entering. The department must make the training program available on the department's website for use by all fire departments and emergency medical service agencies in the state. The department must include on its website a list of public and private nonprofit disability-related agencies and organizations and the contact information of each agency and organization. Fire departments and emergency medical service agencies must ensure their employees are adequately trained in and familiarized with techniques, procedures, and protocols for best handling situations in which persons with particular disabilities are present at the scene of an emergency.
(2) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the criminal justice training commission, in consultation with the Washington state patrol and other stakeholders, must examine existing training programs and curricula related to law enforcement officers responding to an emergency where a person with a disability may be present, to ensure that those programs and curricula are consistent with best practices.
(3) For purposes of this section:
(a) Both "accident" and "emergency" mean an unforeseen combination of circumstances or a resulting situation that results in a need for assistance or relief and calls for immediate action; and
(b) "Persons with disabilities" means individuals who have been diagnosed medically to have a physical, mental, emotional, intellectual, behavioral, developmental, or sensory disability.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=43.70&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026