As used in sections 32-03-48 through 32-03-50, unless the context otherwise requires:

Terms Used In North Dakota Code 32-03-48

  • Process: means a writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49

1.    “Critical incident” means any event encountered by emergency service personnel within the scope of their employment which causes them to experience unusually strong emotional reactions that have the potential to interfere with their ability to perform their jobs or that may interfere with their personal lives.

2.    “Critical incident stress debriefing” means the process of resolving the effects of critical incidents on emergency service personnel through a structured meeting with both psychological and educational components according to the model approved by the department of health and human services.

3.    “Critical incident stress management team” means those volunteers who are recognized by the department of health and human services as members of an organized group that provides critical incident stress debriefing services on behalf of the state.

4.    “Emergency service personnel” means individuals who provide emergency services to persons requiring medical aid, firefighting services, law enforcement assistance, or other emergency assistance. The term includes law enforcement officers, firefighters, rescue personnel, ambulance personnel, quick response personnel, emergency service dispatchers, nurses, physicians, and other emergency care providers.

5.    “Peer support personnel” means those members of a critical incident stress management team who are emergency service personnel and who have completed appropriate training approved by the department of health and human services.