§ 837-s. Search for sex offense conviction records of emergency medical technician and other first responder applicants. 1. The chief officer of any volunteer ambulance company, as such term is defined in subdivision two of section three of the volunteer ambulance workers' benefit law, any proprietary ambulance service, or any other ambulance or emergency medical service providing emergency medical care and transportation of sick or injured persons to health care facilities, shall notify every new applicant for emergency medical technician, paramedic, certified first responder applicant, or any other applicant who would be responsible for providing emergency medical care and transportation of sick or injured persons to health care facilities, including applicants seeking to transfer from one ambulance company or service to another, that their personally identifying information will be checked against the public records of those individuals required to register under article six-C of the correction law.

2. If such applicant desires to proceed, within ten business days of receiving an application, the chief officer shall inquire of the division as to whether such applicant is required to register by calling the special telephone number established pursuant to section one hundred sixty-eight-p of the correction law. Such chief officer may also check the internet posting subdirectory of level two and three sex offenders established pursuant to section one hundred sixty-eight-q of the correction law.

3. Where such search reveals that an applicant is registered under article six-C of the correction law, the chief officer of the ambulance company or service shall determine whether or not such person shall be eligible to be elected or otherwise appointed as a member of such ambulance company or service. Such determination shall be made consistent with article twenty-three-A of the correction law and a copy of such article shall be provided to the applicant.