text: The authority shall establish the minimum standards for the policies and procedures necessary for medical control of the EMS system.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1988, Ch. 1390, Sec. 3.)

article: 5. Personnel


kind: section

code: HSC

text: No individual shall hold himself or herself out to be an EMT-I, EMT-II, EMT-P, or paramedic unless that individual is currently certified as such by the local EMS agency or other certifying authority.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1980, Ch. 1260.)

division: 2.5. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

chapter: 3. State Administration

article: 5. Personnel

path: 2.5. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES > 3. State Administration > 5. Personnel


text: No person or organization shall provide advanced life support or limited advanced life support unless that person or organization is an authorized part of the emergency medical services system of the local EMS agency or of a pilot program operated pursuant to the Wedworth-Townsend Paramedic Act, Article 3 (commencing with Section 1480) of Chapter 2.5 of Division 2.

article: 5. Personnel


text: Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and to the extent federal financial participation is available, any city, county or special district providing paramedic services as set forth in Section 1797.172, shall reimburse the Health Care Deposit Fund for the state costs of paying such medical claims. Funds allocated to the county from the County Health Services Fund pursuant to Part 4.5 (commencing with Section 16700) of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code may be utilized by the county or city to make such reimbursement.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1980, Ch. 1322.)

article: 5. Personnel


text: No agency, public or private, shall advertise or disseminate information to the public that the agency provides EMT-II or EMT-P rescue or ambulance services unless that agency does in fact provide this service on a continuous 24 hours-per-day basis. If advertising or information regarding that agency’s EMT-II or EMT-P rescue or ambulance service appears on any vehicle it may only appear on those vehicles utilized solely to provide that service on a continuous 24 hours-per-day basis.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1983, Ch. 1246, Sec. 23.)

article: 5. Personnel


text: The authority may, by regulation, prescribe standardized insignias or emblems for patches which may be affixed to the clothing of an EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1983, Ch. 1246, Sec. 24.)

article: 5. Personnel


text:
All ocean, public beach, and public swimming pool lifeguards and all firefighters in this state, except those whose duties are primarily clerical or administrative, shall be trained to administer first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The training shall meet standards prescribed by the authority, and shall be satisfactorily completed by such persons as soon as practical, but in no event more than one year after the date of employment. Satisfactory completion of a refresher course which meets the standards prescribed by the authority in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other first aid shall be required at least every three years.

The authority may designate a public agency or private nonprofit agency to provide for each county the training required by this section. The training shall be provided at no cost to the trainee.

As used in this section, “lifeguard” means any regularly employed and paid officer, employee, or member of a public aquatic safety department or marine safety agency of the State of California, a city, county, city and county, district, or other public or municipal corporation or political subdivision of this state.

As used in this section, “firefighter” means any regularly employed and paid officer, employee, or member of a fire department or fire protection or firefighting agency of the State of California, a city, county, city and county, district, or other public or municipal corporation or political subdivision of this state or member of an emergency reserve unit of a volunteer fire department or fire protection district.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1983, Ch. 1246, Sec. 25.)

article: 5. Personnel


text: All peace officers described in Section 13518 of the Penal Code, except those whose duties are primarily clerical or administrative, shall be trained to administer first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The training shall meet standards prescribed by the authority, in consultation with the Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training, and shall be satisfactorily completed by those officers as soon as practical, but in no event more than one year after the date of employment. Satisfactory completion of either refresher training or appropriate testing, which meets the standards of the authority, in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other first aid, shall be required at periodic intervals as determined by the authority.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1983, Ch. 1246, Sec. 26.)

article: 5. Personnel


text:
The authority shall develop and, after approval by the commission pursuant to Section 1799.50, adopt all of the following:

(a) Guidelines for disciplinary orders, temporary suspensions, and conditions of probation for EMT-I and EMT-II certificate holders that protects the public health and safety.

(b) Regulations for the issuance of EMT-I and EMT-II certificates by a certifying entity that protects the public health and safety.

(c) Regulations for the recertification of EMT-I and EMT-II certificate holders that protect the public health and safety.

(d) Regulations for disciplinary processes for EMT-I and EMT-II applicants and certificate holders that protect the public health and safety. These disciplinary processes shall be in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2008, Ch. 274, Sec. 10. Effective January 1, 2009.)

article: 5. Personnel


text:
(a) The authority shall establish criteria for the statewide recognition of the licensure of EMT-P personnel in the basic scope of practice of those personnel. The criteria shall include all of the following:

(1) Standards for training, testing, and licensure. The standards may include designation by the authority of the specific examinations required for licensure, including, at the option of the authority, an examination provided by the authority. At the option of the authority, the standards may include a requirement for registration of prehospital emergency care personnel with the authority or other entity designated by the authority.

(2) Conditions for local accreditation of licensed EMT-P personnel that are reasonable in order to maintain medical control and the integrity of the local EMS system, as determined by the authority and approved by the commission.

(3) Provisions for local accreditation in approved optional scope of practice, if any, as allowed by applicable state regulations and statutes.

(4) Provisions for the establishment and collection of fees by the appropriate agency, which may be the authority or an entity designated by the authority to collect fees for the authority, for testing, licensure, accreditation, and registration with the appropriate state or local agency in the appropriate scope of practice. All fees collected for the authority in a calendar month by any entity designated by the authority pursuant to this section to collect fees for the authority shall be transmitted to the authority for deposit into the Emergency Medical Services Personnel Fund within 30 calendar days following the last day of the calendar month in which the fees were received by the designated entity.

(b) The Paramedic Disciplinary Review Board shall review and revise the criteria for the revocation or suspension of an EMT-P license, the probation of EMT-P personnel, and the appeal of a licensure decision by the authority to the board, so that it is consistent with Section 1797.125.07. The authority shall adopt that criteria, along with the criteria developed pursuant to Section 1797.125.07, pursuant to Section 1797.107.

(c) All future regulations for EMT-P personnel adopted by the authority shall, if relevant, include provisions for statewide recognition of licensure or authorization for the scope of practice of those personnel.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 463, Sec. 4. (AB 450) Effective January 1, 2022.)

article: 5. Personnel


text:
All persons described in Sections 1797.170, 1797.171, 1797.172, 1797.182, and 1797.183, whether volunteers, partly paid, or fully paid, shall be entitled to prophylactic medical treatment to prevent the onset of disease, provided that the person demonstrates that he or she was exposed, while in the service of the department or unit, to a contagious disease, as listed in Section 2500 of Title 17 of the California Administrative Code, while performing first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation services to any person.

Medical treatment under this section shall not affect the provisions of Division 4 (commencing with Section 3200) or Division 5 (commencing with Section 6300) of the Labor Code or the person’s right to make a claim for work-related injuries, at the time the contagious disease manifests itself.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1985, Ch. 1543, Sec. 1.)

article: 5. Personnel


text:
A peace officer as described in Section 830.1, subdivision (a) of Section 830.2, or subdivision (g) of Section 830.3 of the Penal Code, while in the service of the agency or local agency which employs him or her, shall be notified by the agency or local agency if the peace officer is exposed to a known carcinogen, as defined by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, or as defined by its director, during the investigation of any place where any controlled substance, as defined in Section 11007 is suspected of being manufactured, stored, transferred, or sold, or any toxic waste spills, accidents, leaks, explosions, or fires.

The Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training basic training course, and other training courses as the commission determines appropriate, shall include, on or before January 1, 1990, instruction on, but not limited to, the identification and handling of possible carcinogenic materials and the potential health hazards associated with these materials, protective equipment, and clothing available to minimize contamination, handling, and disposing of materials and measures and procedures that can be adopted to minimize exposure to possible hazardous materials.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1998, Ch. 606, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1999.)

article: 5. Personnel


text:
(a) As used in this section:

(1) “Prehospital emergency medical care person or personnel” means any of the following: an authorized registered nurse or mobile intensive care nurse, emergency medical technician-I, emergency medical technician-II, emergency medical technician-paramedic, lifeguard, firefighter, or peace officer, as defined or described by Sections 1797.56, 1797.80, 1797.82, 1797.84, 1797.182, and 1797.183, respectively, or a physician and surgeon who provides prehospital emergency medical care or rescue services.

(2) “Reportable communicable disease or condition” or “a communicable disease or condition listed as reportable” means those diseases prescribed by Subchapter 1 (commencing with Section 2500) of Chapter 4 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations, as may be amended from time to time.

(3) “Exposed” means at risk for contracting the disease, as defined by regulations of the state department.

(4) “Health facility” means a health facility, as defined in Section 1250, including a publicly operated facility.

(5) “Health facility infection control officer” means the official or officer who has been designated by the health facility to communicate with a designated officer, or his or her designee.

(6) “Designated officer” means the official or officer of an employer of a prehospital emergency medical care person or personnel who has been designated by the state’s public health officer or the employer.

(7) “Urgency reporting requirement” means a disease required to be reported immediately by telephone or reported by telephone within one working day pursuant to subdivisions (h) and (i) of Section 2500 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations.

(b) In addition to the communicable disease testing and notification procedures applicable under Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 120260) of Part 1 of Division 105, all prehospital emergency medical care personnel, whether volunteers, partly paid, or fully paid, who have provided emergency medical or rescue services and have been exposed to a person afflicted with a communicable disease or condition listed as reportable, which can, as determined by the county health officer, be transmitted through physical or oral contact or secretions of the body, including blood, shall be notified that they have been exposed to the disease or condition in accordance with the following:

(1) If the prehospital emergency medical care person, who has rendered emergency medical or rescue services and believes that he or she may have been exposed to a person afflicted with a reportable communicable disease or condition in a manner that could result in transmission of a reportable communicable disease or condition, and provides the health facility infection control officer with his or her name and telephone number at the time the patient is transferred from that prehospital emergency medical care person to the admitting health facility; or the party transporting the person afflicted with the reportable communicable disease or condition provides that health facility with the name and telephone number of the prehospital emergency medical care person who provided the emergency medical or rescue services and believes he or she may have been exposed to a person afflicted with a reportable communicable disease or condition in a manner that could result in transmission of a communicable disease or condition, the health facility infection control officer, upon determining that the person to whom the prehospital emergency medical care person provided the emergency medical or rescue services is diagnosed as being afflicted with a reportable communicable disease or condition, and that the reportable communicable disease or condition may have been transmitted during the provision of emergency medical or rescue services, shall immediately notify the designated officer of the prehospital emergency medical care person if the reportable communicable disease or condition has an urgency reporting requirement on the list of reportable diseases or conditions, or if the conditions of the exposure may have included direct contact between the unprotected skin, eyes, or mucous membranes of the prehospital emergency medical care person and the blood of the person afflicted with the reportable communicable disease or condition. Otherwise, the health facility infection control officer shall notify the designated officer consistent with Section 2500 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations. The health facility infection control officer shall also report the name and telephone number of the prehospital emergency medical care person to the county health officer. The designated officer shall immediately notify the prehospital emergency medical care person if the reportable communicable disease or condition has an urgency reporting requirement on the list of reportable diseases or conditions, or if the conditions of the exposure may have included direct contact between the unprotected skin, eyes, or mucous membranes of the prehospital emergency medical care person and the blood of the person afflicted with the reportable communicable disease or condition. Otherwise, the designated officer shall notify the prehospital emergency medical care person consistent with Section 2500 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations.

(2) If the prehospital emergency medical care person who has rendered emergency medical or rescue services and has been exposed to a person afflicted with a reportable communicable disease or condition, but has not provided the health facility infection control officer with his or her name and telephone number pursuant to paragraph (1), the health facility infection control officer, upon determining that the person to whom the prehospital emergency medical care person provided the emergency medical or rescue services is diagnosed as being afflicted with a reportable communicable disease or condition that may have been transmitted during provision of emergency medical or rescue services, shall immediately notify the designated officer of the employer of the prehospital emergency medical care person and the county health officer if the reportable communicable disease or condition has an urgency reporting requirement on the list of reportable diseases or conditions, or if the conditions of the exposure may have included direct contact between the unprotected skin, eyes, or mucous membranes of the prehospital emergency medical care person and the blood of the person afflicted with the reportable communicable disease or condition. Otherwise, the health facility infection control officer shall notify the designated officer consistent with Section 2500 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations. The designated officer shall immediately notify the prehospital emergency medical care person if the reportable communicable disease or condition has an urgency reporting requirement on the list of reportable diseases or conditions, or if the conditions of the exposure may have included direct contact between the unprotected skin, eyes, or mucous membranes of the prehospital emergency medical care person and the blood of the person afflicted with the reportable communicable disease or condition. Otherwise, the designated officer shall notify the prehospital emergency medical care person consistent with Section 2500 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations.

(c) The county health officer shall immediately notify the prehospital emergency medical care person who has provided emergency medical or rescue services and has been exposed to a person afflicted with a communicable disease or condition listed as reportable, which can, as determined by the county health officer, be transmitted through oral contact or secretions of the body, including blood, if the reportable communicable disease or condition has an urgency reporting requirement on the list of reportable diseases or conditions, or if the conditions of the exposure may have included direct contact between the unprotected skin, eyes, or mucous membranes of the prehospital emergency medical care person and the blood of the person afflicted with the reportable communicable disease or condition, upon receiving the report from a health facility pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b). Otherwise, the county health officer shall notify the prehospital emergency medical care person consistent with Section 2500 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations. The county health officer shall not disclose the name of the patient or other identifying characteristics to the prehospital emergency medical care person.

(d) An employer of a prehospital emergency medical care person or personnel that maintains an Internet Web site shall post the title and telephone number of the designated officer in a conspicuous location on its Internet Web site accessible from the home page. A health facility that maintains an Internet Web site shall post the title and telephone number of the health facility infection control officer in a conspicuous location on its Internet Web site accessible from the home page.

(e) (1) The health facility infection control officer, or his or her designee, shall be available either onsite or on call 24 hours per day.

(2) The designated officer, or his or her designee, shall be available either onsite or on call 24 hours per day.

(f) An employer of a health facility infection control officer and an employer of a prehospital emergency medical care person or personnel shall inform those employees of this law as part of the Cal-OSHA Injury and Illness Prevention Program training required by paragraph (7) of subdivision (a) of Section 3203 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations.

(g) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the further disclosure of confidential medical information by the health facility, the designated officer, or any prehospital emergency medical care personnel described in this section except as otherwise authorized by law.

(h) In the event of the demise of the person afflicted with the reportable communicable disease or condition, the health facility or county health officer shall notify the funeral director, charged with removing the decedent from the health facility, of the reportable communicable disease or condition prior to the release of the decedent from the health facility to the funeral director.

(i) Notwithstanding Section 1798.206, a violation of this section is not a misdemeanor.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 424, Sec. 4. (SB 1495) Effective January 1, 2019.)

article: 5. Personnel


text:
(a) As used in this section:

(1) “Chief medical examiner-coroner” means the chief medical examiner or the coroner as referred to in subdivision (m) of Section 24000, Section 24010, subdivisions (k), (m), and (n) of Section 24300, subdivisions (k), (m), and (n) of Section 24304, and Sections 27460 to 27530, inclusive, of the Government Code, and Section 102850.

(2) “Prehospital emergency medical care person or personnel” means any of the following: authorized registered nurse or mobile intensive care nurse, emergency medical technician-I, emergency medical technician-II, emergency medical technician-paramedic, lifeguard, firefighter, or peace officer, as defined or described by Sections 1797.56, 1797.80, 1797.82, 1797.84, 1797.182, and 1797.183, respectively, or a physician and surgeon who provides prehospital emergency medical care or rescue services.

(3) “Reportable disease or condition” or “a disease or condition listed as reportable” means those diseases specified in Subchapter 1 (commencing with Section 2500) of Chapter 4 of Title 17 of the California Administrative Code, as may be amended from time to time.

(4) “Exposed” means at risk for contracting a disease, as defined by regulations of the state department.

(5) “Health facility” means a health facility, as defined in Section 1250, including a publicly operated facility.

(b) Any prehospital emergency medical care personnel, whether volunteers, partly paid, or fully paid who have provided emergency medical or rescue services and have been exposed to a person afflicted with a disease or condition listed as reportable, that can, as determined by the county health officer, be transmitted through oral contact or secretions of the body, including blood, shall be notified that they have been exposed to the disease and should contact the county health officer if all of the following conditions are met:

(1) The prehospital emergency medical care person, who has rendered emergency medical or rescue services and has been exposed to a person afflicted with a reportable disease or condition, provides the chief medical examiner-coroner with his or her name and telephone number at the time the patient is transferred from that prehospital medical care person to the chief medical examiner-coroner; or the party transporting the person afflicted with the reportable disease or condition provides that chief medical examiner-coroner with the name and telephone number of the prehospital emergency medical care person who provided the emergency medical or rescue services.

(2) The chief medical examiner-coroner reports the name and telephone number of the prehospital emergency medical care person to the county health officer upon determining that the person to whom the prehospital emergency medical care person provided the emergency medical or rescue services is diagnosed as being afflicted with a reportable disease or condition.

(c) The county health officer shall immediately notify the prehospital emergency medical care person who has provided emergency medical or rescue services and has been exposed to a person afflicted with a disease or condition listed as reportable, that can, as determined by the county health officer, be transmitted through oral contact or secretions of the body, including blood, upon receiving the report from a health facility pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b). The county health officer shall not disclose the name of the patient or other identifying characteristics to the prehospital emergency medical care person.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the further disclosure of confidential medical information by the chief medical examiner-coroner or any of the prehospital emergency medical care personnel described in this section except as otherwise authorized by law.

The chief medical examiner-coroner, or the county health officer shall notify the funeral director, charged with removing or receiving the decedent afflicted with a reportable disease or condition from the chief medical examiner-coroner, of the reportable disease prior to the release of the decedent from the chief medical examiner-coroner to the funeral director.

Notwithstanding Section 1798.206, violation of this section is not a misdemeanor.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 1023, Sec. 173. Effective September 29, 1996.)

article: 5. Personnel


text: The authority may establish minimum standards for the training and use of automatic external defibrillators.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 718, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2003.)

article: 5. Personnel


text:
(a) The authority shall establish minimum standards for the training in pediatric first aid, pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and preventive health practices required by Section 1596.866.

(b) (1) The authority shall establish a process for the ongoing review and approval of training programs in pediatric first aid, pediatric CPR, and preventive health practices as specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 1596.866 to ensure that those programs meet the minimum standards established pursuant to subdivision (a). The authority shall charge fees equal to its costs incurred for the pediatric first aid and pediatric CPR training standards program and for the ongoing review and approval of these programs.

(2) The authority shall establish, in consultation with experts in pediatric first aid, pediatric CPR, and preventive health practices, a process to ensure the quality of the training programs, including, but not limited to, a method for assessing the appropriateness of the courses and the qualifications of the instructors.

(c) (1) The authority may charge a fee equal to its costs incurred for the preventive health practices program and for the initial review and approval and renewal of approval of the program.

(2) If the authority chooses to establish a fee process based on the use of course completion cards for the preventive health practices program, the cost shall not exceed seven dollars ($7) per card for each training participant until January 1, 2001, at which time the authority may evaluate its administrative costs. After evaluation of the costs, the authority may establish a new fee scale for the cards so that revenue does not exceed the costs of the ongoing review and approval of the preventive health practices training.

(d) For the purposes of this section, “training programs” means programs that apply for approval by the authority to provide the training in pediatric first aid, pediatric CPR, or preventive health practices as specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 1596.866. Training programs include all affiliated programs that also provide any of the authority-approved training required by this division. “Affiliated programs” means programs that are overseen by persons or organizations that have an authority-approved training program in pediatric first aid, pediatric CPR, or preventive health practices. Affiliated programs also include programs that have purchased an authority-approved training program in pediatric first aid, pediatric CPR, or preventive health practices. Training programs and their affiliated programs shall comply with this division and with the regulations adopted by the authority pertaining to training programs in pediatric first aid, pediatric CPR, or preventive health practices.

(e) The director of the authority may, in accordance with regulations adopted by the authority, deny, suspend, or revoke any approval issued under this division or may place any approved program on probation, upon the finding by the director of the authority of an imminent threat to the public health and safety as evidenced by the occurrence of any of the actions listed in subdivision (f).

(f) Any of the following actions shall be considered evidence of a threat to the public health and safety, and may result in the denial, suspension, probation, or revocation of a program’s approval or application for approval pursuant to this division.

(1) Fraud.

(2) Incompetence.

(3) The commission of any fraudulent, dishonest, or corrupt act that is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, and duties of training program directors and instructors.

(4) Conviction of any crime that is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, and duties of training program directors and instructors. The record of conviction or a certified copy of the record shall be conclusive evidence of the conviction.

(5) Violating or attempting to violate, directly or indirectly, or assisting in or abetting the violation of, or conspiring to violate, this division or the regulations promulgated by the authority pertaining to the review and approval of training programs in pediatric first aid, pediatric CPR, and preventive health practices as specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 1596.866.

(g) In order to ensure that adequate qualified training programs are available to provide training in the preventive health practices course to all persons who are required to have that training, the authority may, after approval of the Commission on Emergency Medical Services pursuant to Section 1799.50, establish temporary standards for training programs for use until permanent standards are adopted pursuant to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(h) Persons who, prior to the date on which the amendments to this section enacted in 1998 become operative, have completed a course or courses in preventive health practices as specified in subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 1596.866, and have a certificate of completion card for a course or courses in preventive health practices, or certified copies of transcripts that identify the number of hours and the specific course or courses taken for training in preventive health practices shall be deemed to have met the requirement for training in preventive health practices.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1999, Ch. 83, Sec. 106. Effective January 1, 2000.)

article: 5. Personnel


text: On or before July 1, 1991, the authority shall adopt standards for a standard statewide scope of practice which shall be utilized for the training and certification testing of EMT-P personnel for certification as EMT-P's. Local EMS systems shall not be required to utilize the entire standard scope of practice. Testing of EMT-P personnel for local accreditation to practice shall only include local operational policies and procedures, and drug, device, or treatment procedures being utilized within that local EMS system pursuant to Sections 1797.172 and 1797.221.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1362, Sec. 8. Effective October 2, 1989.)

article: 5. Personnel


text:
(a) By July 1, 1992, existing firefighters in this state shall complete a course on the nature of sudden infant death syndrome taught by experts in the field of sudden infant death syndrome. All persons who become firefighters after January 1, 1990, shall complete a course on this topic as part of their basic training as firefighters. The course shall include information on the community resources available to assist families who have lost children to sudden infant death syndrome.

(b) For purposes of this section, the term “firefighter” has the same meaning as that specified in Section 1797.182.

(c) When the instruction and training are provided by a local agency, a fee shall be charged sufficient to defray the entire cost of the instruction and training.

history: (History: Added by renumbering Section 1797.192 (as added by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1111) by Stats. 1990, Ch. 216, Sec. 61.)

article: 5. Personnel


text:
The purpose of this section is to provide for the state licensure of EMT-P personnel. Notwithstanding any provision of law, including, but not limited to, Sections 1797.208 and 1797.214, all of the following applies to EMT-P personnel:

(a) Any reference to EMT-P certification pursuant to this division shall be equivalent to EMT-P licensure pursuant to this division, including a provision in this division relating to the assessment of fees.

(b) The statewide examination designated by the authority for licensure of EMT-P personnel and the licensure issued by the authority shall be the single sufficient examination and licensure required for practice as an EMT-P.

(c) EMT-P licenses shall be renewed every two years upon submission to the authority of proof of satisfactory completion of continuing education or other educational requirements established by regulations of the authority, upon approval by the commission. If the evaluation and recommendations of the authority required pursuant to Section 8 of Chapter 997 of the Statutes of 1993, so concludes, the renewal of EMT-P licenses shall, in addition to continuing education requirements, be contingent upon reexamination at 10-year intervals to ensure competency.

(d) An EMT-P licensee may be disciplined by the authority for violations of this division. The proceedings under this subdivision shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and the authority shall have all the powers granted therein for this purpose. On and after January 1, 2023, the Paramedic Disciplinary Review Board may act on appeals of licensure discipline and denial, pursuant to Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 1797.125).

(e) This section does not extend the scope of practice of an EMT-P beyond prehospital settings, as defined by regulations of the authority.

(f) This section does not alter or interfere with the local EMS agency’s ability to locally accredit licensed EMT-Ps.

(g) This section does not hinder the ability of the medical director of the local EMS agency to maintain medical control within the local EMS system in accordance with this division, including, but not limited to, Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 1798).

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 463, Sec. 5. (AB 450) Effective January 1, 2022.)

article: 5. Personnel


text:
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, an EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P may provide emergency medical care pursuant to this section in the emergency department of a hospital that meets the definition of small and rural hospital pursuant to Section 1188.855, except that in the case of a hospital meeting the definition contained in Section 1188.855 the population of the incorporated place or census designated place where the hospital is located shall not have increased to more than 20,000 since 1980, and all of the following conditions are met:

(1) The EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P is on duty as a prehospital emergency medical care provider.

(2) The EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P shall function under direct supervision as defined in hospital protocols that have been issued pursuant to paragraph (3), and only where the physician and surgeon or the registered nurse determines that the emergency department is faced with a patient crisis, and that the services of the EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P are necessary to temporarily meet the health care needs of the patients in the emergency department.

(3) The utilization of an EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P in the emergency department is done pursuant to hospital protocols that have been developed by the hospital’s nursing staff, the physician and surgeon medical director of the emergency department, and the administration of the hospital, with the approval of the medical staff, and that shall include at least all of the following:

(A) A requirement that the EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P successfully complete a hospital training program on the protocols and procedures of the hospital emergency department. The program shall include, but not be limited to, features of the protocols for which the EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P has not previously received training and a postprogram evaluation.

(B) A requirement that the EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P annually demonstrates and documents to the hospital competency in the emergency department procedures.

(C) The emergency medical care to be provided in the emergency department by the EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P shall be set forth or referenced in the protocols and shall be limited to that which is otherwise authorized by their certification or licensure as defined in statute or regulation. The protocols shall not include patient assessment in this setting, except when the assessment is directly related to the specific task the EMT-I, EMT-II, and EMT-P is performing.

(D) A process for continuity of patient care when the EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P is called to an off-site emergency situation.

(E) Procedures for the supervision of the EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P.

(4) The protocols for utilization of an EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P in the emergency department are developed in consultation with the medical director of the local EMS agency and the emergency medical care committee, if a committee has been formed.

(5) A written contract shall be in effect relative to the services provided pursuant to this section, between the ambulance company and the hospital, where the EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P is employed by an ambulance company that is not owned by the hospital.

(b) When services of emergency personnel are called upon pursuant to this section, responsibility for the medical direction of the EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P rests with the hospital, pursuant to the hospital protocols as set forth in paragraph (3) of subdivision (a).

(c) Although this section authorizes the provision of services in an emergency department of certain small and rural hospitals, nothing in this section is intended to expand or restrict the types of services or care to be provided by EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P pursuant to this article.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 239, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1996.)

article: 5. Personnel


text:
(a) For purposes of this section, “AED” or “defibrillator” means an automated external defibrillator.

(b) (1) In order to ensure public safety, a person or entity that acquires an AED shall do all of the following:

(A) Comply with all regulations governing the placement of an AED.

(B) Notify an agent of the local EMS agency of the existence, location, and type of AED acquired.

(C) Ensure that the AED is maintained and tested according to the operation and maintenance guidelines set forth by the manufacturer.

(D) Ensure that the AED is tested at least biannually and after each use.

(E) Ensure that an inspection is made of all AEDs on the premises at least every 90 days for potential issues related to operability of the device, including a blinking light or other obvious defect that may suggest tampering or that another problem has arisen with the functionality of the AED.

(F) Ensure that records of the maintenance and testing required pursuant to this paragraph are maintained.

(2) When an AED is placed in a building, the building owner shall do all of the following:

(A) At least once a year, notify the tenants as to the location of the AED units and provide information to tenants about who they can contact if they want to voluntarily take AED or CPR training.

(B) At least once a year, offer a demonstration to at least one person associated with the building so that the person can be walked through how to use an AED properly in an emergency. The building owner may arrange for the demonstration or partner with a nonprofit organization to do so.

(C) Next to the AED, post instructions, in no less than 14-point type, on how to use the AED.

(3) A medical director or other physician and surgeon is not required to be involved in the acquisition or placement of an AED.

(c) (1) When an AED is placed in a public or private K–12 school, the principal shall ensure that the school administrators and staff annually receive information that describes sudden cardiac arrest, the school’s emergency response plan, and the proper use of an AED. The principal shall also ensure that instructions, in no less than 14-point type, on how to use the AED are posted next to every AED. The principal shall, at least annually, notify school employees as to the location of all AED units on the campus.

(2) When an AED is placed in a public or private school serving grades 6 to 12, inclusive, the principal shall, at least annually, notify pupils as to the location of all AED units on the campus.

(3) This section does not prohibit a school employee or other person from rendering aid with an AED.

(d) A manufacturer or retailer supplying an AED shall provide to the acquirer of the AED all information governing the use, installation, operation, training, and maintenance of the AED.

(e) A violation of this section is not subject to penalties pursuant to Section 1798.206.

(f) Nothing in this section or Section 1714.21 of the Civil Code may be construed to require a building owner or a building manager to acquire and have installed an AED in any building.

(g) For purposes of this section, “local EMS agency” means an agency established pursuant to Section 1797.200.

(h) This section does not apply to facilities licensed pursuant to subdivision (a), (b), (c), or (f) of Section 1250.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 19, Sec. 1. (AB 3262) Effective January 1, 2025.)

article: 5. Personnel


text:
(a) The authority shall establish training and standards for all prehospital emergency medical care personnel, as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 1797.189, regarding the characteristics and method of assessment and treatment of anaphylactic reactions and the use of epinephrine. The authority shall promulgate regulations regarding these matters for use by all prehospital emergency medical care personnel.

(b) (1) The authority shall develop and, after approval by the commission pursuant to Section 1799.50, adopt training and standards for all prehospital emergency medical care personnel, as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 1797.189, regarding the use and administration of naloxone hydrochloride and other opioid antagonists. The authority shall promulgate regulations regarding these matters for use by all prehospital emergency medical care personnel. The authority may adopt existing training and standards for prehospital emergency medical care personnel regarding the statewide use and administration of naloxone hydrochloride or another opioid antagonist to satisfy the requirements of this section.

(2) The medical director of a local EMS agency may, pursuant to Section 1797.221, approve or conduct a trial study of the use and administration of naloxone hydrochloride or other opioid antagonists by any level of prehospital emergency medical care personnel. Training received by prehospital emergency medical care personnel specific to the use and administration of naloxone hydrochloride or another opioid antagonist during this trial study may be used towards satisfying the training requirements established pursuant to paragraph (1) regarding the use and administration of naloxone hydrochloride and other opioid antagonists by prehospital emergency medical care personnel.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 569, Sec. 2. (AB 1037) Effective January 1, 2026.)

article: 5. Personnel


text:
(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) “Anaphylaxis” means a potentially life-threatening hypersensitivity or allergic reaction to a substance.

(A) Symptoms of anaphylaxis may include shortness of breath, wheezing, difficulty breathing, difficulty talking or swallowing, hives, itching, swelling, shock, or asthma.

(B) Causes of anaphylaxis may include, but are not limited to, insect stings or bites, foods, drugs, and other allergens, as well as idiopathic or exercise-induced anaphylaxis.

(2) “Authorized entity” means any for-profit, nonprofit, or government entity or organization that employs at least one person or utilizes at least one volunteer or agent that has voluntarily completed a training course as described in subdivision (c).

(3) “Epinephrine auto-injector” means a disposable delivery device designed for the automatic injection of a premeasured dose of epinephrine into the human body to prevent or treat a life-threatening allergic reaction.

(4) “Lay rescuer” means any person who has met the training standards and other requirements of this section but who is not otherwise licensed or certified to use an epinephrine auto-injector on another person.

(5) “Prehospital emergency medical care person” has the same meaning as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 1797.189.

(b) A prehospital emergency medical care person or lay rescuer may use an epinephrine auto-injector to render emergency care to another person if all of the following requirements are met:

(1) The epinephrine auto-injector is legally obtained by prescription from an authorized health care provider or from an authorized entity that acquired the epinephrine auto-injector pursuant to subdivision (e).

(2) The epinephrine auto-injector is used on another, with the expressed or implied consent of that person, to treat anaphylaxis.

(3) The epinephrine auto-injector is stored and maintained as directed by the manufacturer’s instructions for that product.

(4) The person using the epinephrine auto-injector has successfully completed a course of training with an authorized training provider, as described in subdivision (c), and has current certification of training issued by the provider.

(5) The epinephrine auto-injectors obtained by prehospital emergency medical care personnel pursuant to Section 4119.3 of the Business and Professions Code shall be used only when functioning outside the course of the person’s occupational duties, or as a volunteer, pursuant to this section.

(6) The Emergency Medical Services System is activated as soon as practicable when an epinephrine auto-injector is used.

(c) (1) The authorized training providers shall be approved, and the minimum standards for training and the use and administration of epinephrine auto-injectors pursuant to this section shall be established and approved, by the authority. The authority may designate existing training standards for the use and administration of epinephrine auto-injectors by prehospital emergency medical care personnel to satisfy the requirements of this section.

(2) The minimum training and requirements shall include all of the following components:

(A) Techniques for recognizing circumstances, signs, and symptoms of anaphylaxis.

(B) Standards and procedures for proper storage and emergency use of epinephrine auto-injectors.

(C) Emergency followup procedures, including activation of the Emergency Medical Services System, by calling the emergency 911 telephone number or otherwise alerting and summoning more advanced medical personnel and services.

(D) Compliance with all regulations governing the training, indications, use, and precautions concerning epinephrine auto-injectors.

(E) Written material covering the information required under this provision, including the manufacturer product information sheets on commonly available models of epinephrine auto-injectors.

(F) Completion of a training course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automatic external defibrillator (AED) for infants, children, and adults that complies with regulations adopted by the authority and the standards of the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross, and a current certification for that training.

(3) Training certification shall be valid for no more than two years, after which recertification with an authorized training provider is required.

(4) The director may, in accordance with regulations adopted by the authority, deny, suspend, or revoke any approval issued under this subdivision or may place any approved training provider on probation upon a finding by the director of an imminent threat to public health and safety, as evidenced by any of the following:

(A) Fraud.

(B) Incompetence.

(C) The commission of any fraudulent, dishonest, or corrupt act that is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of training program directors or instructors.

(D) Conviction of any crime that is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of training program directors or instructors. The record of conviction or a certified copy of the record shall be conclusive evidence of the conviction.

(E) Violating or attempting to violate, directly or indirectly, or assisting in or abetting the violation of, or conspiring to violate, any provision of this section or the regulations promulgated by the authority pertaining to the review and approval of training programs in anaphylaxis and the use and administration of epinephrine auto-injectors, as described in this subdivision.

(d) (1) The authority shall assess a fee pursuant to regulation sufficient to cover the reasonable costs incurred by the authority for the ongoing review and approval of training and certification under subdivision (c).

(2) The fees shall be deposited in the Specialized First Aid Training Program Approval Fund, which is hereby created in the State Treasury. All moneys deposited in the fund shall be made available, upon appropriation, to the authority for purposes described in paragraph (1).

(3) The authority may transfer unused portions of the Specialized First Aid Training Program Approval Fund to the Surplus Money Investment Fund. Funds transferred to the Surplus Money Investment Fund shall be placed in a separate trust account, and shall be available for transfer to the Specialized First Aid Training Program Approval Fund, together with the interest earned, when requested by the authority.

(4) The authority shall maintain a reserve balance in the Specialized First Aid Training Program Approval Fund of 5 percent of annual revenues. Any increase in the fees deposited in the Specialized First Aid Training Program Approval Fund shall be effective upon determination by the authority that additional moneys are required to fund expenditures pursuant to subdivision (c).

(e) (1) An authorized health care provider may issue a prescription for an epinephrine auto-injector to a prehospital emergency medical care person or a lay rescuer for the purpose of rendering emergency care to another person upon presentation of a current epinephrine auto-injector certification card issued by the authority demonstrating that the person is trained and qualified to administer an epinephrine auto-injector pursuant to this section or any other law.

(2) An authorized health care provider may issue a prescription for an epinephrine auto-injector to an authorized entity if the authorized entity submits evidence it employs at least one person, or utilizes at least one volunteer or agent, who is trained and has a current epinephrine auto-injector certification card issued by the authority demonstrating that the person is qualified to administer an epinephrine auto-injector pursuant to this section.

(f) An authorized entity that possesses and makes available epinephrine auto-injectors shall do both of the following:

(1) Create and maintain on its premises an operations plan that includes all of the following:

(A) The name and contact number for the authorized health care provider who prescribed the epinephrine auto-injector.

(B) Where and how the epinephrine auto-injector will be stored.

(C) The names of the designated employees or agents who have completed the training program required by this section and who are authorized to administer the epinephrine auto-injector.

(D) How and when the epinephrine auto-injector will be inspected for an expiration date.

(E) The process to replace the expired epinephrine auto-injector, including the proper disposal of the expired epinephrine auto-injector or used epinephrine auto-injector in a sharps container.

(2) Submit to the authority, in a manner identified by the authority, a report of each incident that involves the use of an epinephrine auto-injector, not more than 30 days after each use. The authority shall annually publish a report that summarizes all reports submitted to it under this subdivision.

(g) This section does not apply to a school district or county office of education, or its personnel, that provides and utilizes epinephrine auto-injectors to provide emergency medical aid pursuant to Section 49414 of the Education Code.

(h) This section shall not be construed to limit or restrict the ability of prehospital emergency medical care personnel, under any other statute or regulation, to administer epinephrine, including the use of epinephrine auto-injectors, or to require additional training or certification beyond what is already required under the other statute or regulation.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 561, Sec. 109. (AB 1516) Effective January 1, 2018.)

article: 5. Personnel


text:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Trauma care is an essential public service. It is as vital to the safety of the public as the services provided by law enforcement and fire departments. In communities with access to trauma centers, mortality and morbidity rates from traumatic injuries are significantly reduced. For the same reasons that each community in California needs timely access to the services of skilled police, paramedics, and fire personnel, each community needs access to the services provided by certified trauma centers.

(b) Trauma centers save lives by providing immediate coordination of highly specialized care for the most life-threatening injuries.

(c) Trauma centers save lives, and also save money, because access to trauma care can mean the difference between full recovery from a traumatic injury, and serious disability necessitating expensive long-term care.

(d) Trauma centers do their job most effectively as part of a system that includes a local plan with a means of immediately identifying trauma cases and transporting those patients to the nearest trauma center.

(e) It is essential for persons in need of trauma care to receive that care within the 60-minute period immediately following injury. It is during this period, referred to as the “golden hour,” when the potential for survival is greatest, and the need for treatment for shock or injury is most critical.

(f) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this act to promote access to trauma care by ensuring the availability of services through EMS agency-designated trauma centers.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 80, Sec. 1.1. Effective July 19, 2005.)

chapter: 3.75. Trauma Care Fund

path: 2.5. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES > 3.75. Trauma Care Fund


text:
(a) There is hereby created in the State Treasury, the Trauma Care Fund, which, notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, is hereby continuously appropriated without regard to fiscal years to the authority for the purposes specified in subdivision (c).

(b) The fund shall contain any moneys deposited in the fund pursuant to appropriation by the Legislature or from any other source, as well as, notwithstanding Section 16305.7 of the Government Code, any interest and dividends earned on moneys in the fund.

(c) Moneys in the fund shall be expended by the authority to provide for allocations to local EMS agencies, for distribution to local EMS agency-designated trauma centers provided for by this chapter.

(d) Within 30 days of the effective date of the enactment of an appropriation for purposes of implementing this chapter, the authority shall request all local EMS agencies with an approved trauma plan, that includes at least one designated trauma center, to submit within 45 days of the request the total number of trauma patients and the number of trauma patients at each facility that were reported to the local trauma registry for the most recent fiscal year for which data are available, pursuant to Section 100257 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations. However, the local EMS agency’s report shall not include any registry entry that is in reference to a patient who is discharged from the trauma center’s emergency department without being admitted to the hospital unless the nonadmission is due to the patient’s death or transfer to another facility. Any local EMS agency that fails to provide these data shall not receive funding pursuant to this section.

(e) Except as provided in subdivision (m), the authority shall distribute all funds to local EMS agencies with an approved trauma plan that includes at least one designated trauma center in the local EMS agency’s jurisdiction as of July 1 of the fiscal year in which funds are to be distributed.

(1) The amount provided to each local EMS agency shall be in the same proportion as the total number of trauma patients reported to the local trauma registry for each local EMS agency’s area of jurisdiction compared to the total number of all trauma patients statewide as reported under subdivision (d).

(2) The authority shall send a contract to each local EMS agency that is to receive funds within 30 days of receiving the required data and shall distribute the funds to a local EMS agency within 30 days of receiving a signed contract and invoice from the agency.

(f) Local EMS agencies that receive funding under this chapter shall distribute all those funds to eligible trauma centers, except that an agency may expend 1 percent for administration. It is the intent of the Legislature that the funds distributed to eligible trauma centers be spent on trauma services. The funds shall not be used to supplant existing funds designated for trauma services or for training ordinarily provided by the trauma hospital. The local EMS agency shall utilize a competitive grant-based system. All grant proposals shall demonstrate that funding is needed because the trauma center cares for a high percentage of uninsured patients. Local EMS agencies shall determine distribution of funds based on whether the grant proposal satisfies one or more of the following criteria:

(1) The preservation or restoration of specialty physician and surgeon oncall coverage that is demonstrated to be essential for trauma services within a specified hospital.

(2) The acquisition of equipment that is demonstrated to be essential for trauma services within a specified hospital.

(3) The creation of overflow or surge capacity to allow a trauma hospital to respond to mass casualties resulting from an act of terrorism or natural disaster.

(4) The coordination or payment of emergency, nonemergency, and critical care ambulance transportation that would allow for the time-urgent movement or transfer of critically injured patients to trauma centers outside of the originating region so that specialty services or a higher level of care may be provided as necessary without undue delay.

(g) A trauma center shall be eligible for funding under this section if it is designated as a trauma center by a local EMS agency pursuant to Section 1798.165 and complies with the requirements of this section. Both public and private hospitals designated as trauma centers shall be eligible for funding.

(h) A trauma center that receives funding under this section shall agree to remain a trauma center through June 30 of the fiscal year in which it receives funding. If the trauma center ceases functioning as a trauma center, it shall pay back to the local EMS agency a pro rata portion of the funding that has been received. If there are one or more trauma centers remaining in the local EMS agency’s service area, the local EMS agency shall distribute the funds among the other trauma centers. If there is no other trauma center within the local EMS agency’s service area, the local EMS agency shall return the moneys to the authority.

(i) In order to receive funds pursuant to this section, an eligible trauma center shall submit, pursuant to a contract between the trauma center and the local EMS agency, relevant and pertinent data requested by the local EMS agency. A trauma center shall demonstrate that it is appropriately submitting data to the local EMS agency’s trauma registry and a local EMS agency shall audit the data annually within two years of a distribution from the local EMS agency to a trauma center. Any trauma center receiving funding pursuant to this section shall report to the local EMS agency how the funds were used to support trauma services.

(j) It is the intent of the Legislature that all moneys appropriated to the fund be distributed to local EMS agencies during the same year the moneys are appropriated. To the extent that any moneys are not distributed by the authority during the fiscal year in which the moneys are appropriated, the moneys shall remain in the fund and be eligible for distribution pursuant to this section during subsequent fiscal years.

(k) By October 31, 2002, the authority shall develop criteria for the standardized reporting of trauma patients to local trauma registries. The authority shall seek input from local EMS agencies to develop the criteria. All local EMS agencies shall utilize the trauma patient criteria for reporting trauma patients to local trauma registries by July 1, 2003.

(l) By December 31 of the fiscal year following any fiscal year in which funds are distributed pursuant to this section, a local EMS agency that has received funds from the authority pursuant to this chapter shall provide a report to the authority that details the amount of funds distributed to each trauma center, the amount of any balance remaining, and the amount of any claims pending, if any, and describes how the respective centers used the funds to support trauma services. The report shall also describe the local EMS agency’s mechanism for distributing the funds to trauma centers, a description of their audit process and criteria, and a summary of the most recent audit results.

(m) The authority may retain from any appropriation to the fund an amount sufficient to implement this section, up to two hundred eighty thousand dollars ($280,000). This amount may be adjusted to reflect any increases provided for wages or operating expenses as part of the authority’s budget process.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 80, Sec. 1.2. Effective July 19, 2005.)


text: Each county may develop an emergency medical services program. Each county developing such a program shall designate a local EMS agency which shall be the county health department, an agency established and operated by the county, an entity with which the county contracts for the purposes of local emergency medical services administration, or a joint powers agency created for the administration of emergency medical services by agreement between counties or cities and counties pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 6500) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1980, Ch. 1260.)

chapter: 4. Local Administration

article: 1. Local EMS Agency

path: 2.5. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES > 4. Local Administration > 1. Local EMS Agency


text:
Upon the request of a city or fire district that contracted for or provided, as of June 1, 1980, prehospital emergency medical services, a county shall enter into a written agreement with the city or fire district regarding the provision of prehospital emergency medical services for that city or fire district. Until such time that an agreement is reached, prehospital emergency medical services shall be continued at not less than the existing level, and the administration of prehospital EMS by cities and fire districts presently providing such services shall be retained by those cities and fire districts, except the level of prehospital EMS may be reduced where the city council, or the governing body of a fire district, pursuant to a public hearing, determines that the reduction is necessary.

Notwithstanding any provision of this section the provisions of Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 1798) shall apply.

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text:
(a) Every local EMS agency shall have a full- or part-time licensed physician and surgeon as medical director, who has substantial experience in the practice of emergency medicine, as designated by the county or by the joint powers agreement, to provide medical control and to assure medical accountability throughout the planning, implementation and evaluation of the EMS system. The authority director may waive the requirement that the medical director have substantial experience in the practice of emergency medicine if the requirement places an undue hardship on the county or counties.

(b) The medical director of the local EMS agency may appoint one or more physicians and surgeons as assistant medical directors to assist the medical director with the discharge of the duties of medical director or to assume those duties during any time that the medical director is unable to carry out those duties as the medical director deems necessary.

(c) The medical director may assign to administrative staff of the local EMS agency for completion under the supervision of the medical director, any administrative functions of his or her duties which do not require his or her professional judgment as medical director.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1362, Sec. 9. Effective October 2, 1989.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text: The local EMS agency shall plan, implement, and evaluate an emergency medical services system, in accordance with the provisions of this part, consisting of an organized pattern of readiness and response services based on public and private agreements and operational procedures.

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text: The local EMS agency shall be responsible for implementation of advanced life support systems and limited advanced life support systems and for the monitoring of training programs.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1983, Ch. 1246, Sec. 27.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text: The local EMS agency shall be responsible for determining that the operation of training programs at the EMT-I, EMT-II, and EMT-P levels are in compliance with this division, and shall approve the training programs if they are found to be in compliance with this division. The training program at the California Highway Patrol Academy shall be exempt from the provisions of this section.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 248, Sec. 131.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text:
(a) The medical director of the local EMS agency shall issue a certificate, except an EMT-P certificate, to an individual upon proof of satisfactory completion of an approved training program, passage of the certifying examination designated by the authority, completion of any other requirements for certification established by the authority, and a determination that the individual is not precluded from certification for any of the reasons listed in Section 1798.200. The certificate shall be proof of the individual’s initial competence to perform at the designated level.

(b) The medical director of the local EMS agency shall, at the interval specified by the authority, recertify an EMT-I or EMT-II upon proof of the individual’s satisfactory passage of the examination for recertification designated by the authority, completion of any continuing education or other requirements for recertification established by the authority, and a determination that the individual is not precluded from recertification because of any of the reasons listed in Section 1798.200.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1993, Ch. 64, Sec. 5. Effective June 30, 1993.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text: Each local EMS agency shall submit certificate status updates to the authority within three working days after a final determination is made regarding a certification disciplinary action taken by the medical director that results in a change to an EMT-I or EMT-II certificate status.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2008, Ch. 274, Sec. 11. Effective January 1, 2009.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text: The local EMS agency may establish a schedule of fees for certification in an amount sufficient to cover the reasonable cost of administering the certification provisions of this division. However, a local EMS agency shall not collect fees for the certification or recertification of an EMT-P.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1993, Ch. 64, Sec. 6. Effective June 30, 1993.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text:
(a) Any local EMS agency conducting a program pursuant to this article may provide courses of instruction and training leading to certification as an EMT-I, EMT-II, EMT-P, or authorized registered nurse. When such instruction and training are provided, a fee may be charged sufficient to defray the cost of such instruction and training.

(b) Effective July 1, 1990, any courses of instruction and training leading to certification as an EMT-I, EMT-II, EMT-P, or authorized registered nurse shall include a course of training on the nature of sudden infant death syndrome which is developed by the California SIDS program in the State Department of Health Services in consultation with experts in the field of sudden infant death syndrome, and effective January 1, 1990, any individual certified as an EMT-I, EMT-II, EMT-P, or authorized registered nurse shall complete that course of training. The course shall include information on the community resources available to assist families who have lost a child to sudden infant death syndrome. An individual who was certified as an EMT-I, EMT-II, EMT-P, or authorized registered nurse prior to January 1, 1990, shall complete supplementary training on this topic on or before January 1, 1992.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1111, Sec. 6.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text: A local EMS agency may require additional training or qualifications, for the use of drugs, devices, or skills in either the standard scope of practice or a local EMS agency optional scope of practice, which are greater than those provided in this chapter as a condition precedent for practice within such EMS area in an advanced life support or limited advanced life support prehospital care system consistent with standards adopted pursuant to this division.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1362, Sec. 11. Effective October 2, 1989.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text: Notwithstanding any other provision of law, EMT-I's, EMT-II's, and EMT-P’s shall be required to renew their cardiopulmonary resuscitation certificate no more than once every two years.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1983, Ch. 774, Sec. 1.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text: Public safety agencies that are certifying entities may certify and recertify public safety personnel as EMT-I. The state fire marshal, subject to policy guidance and advice from the State Board of Fire Services, may certify and recertify fire safety personnel as EMT-I. All persons certified shall have completed a program of training approved by the local EMS agency or the authority and have passed a competency-based examination.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 274, Sec. 12. Effective January 1, 2009.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text:
(a) Every certifying entity shall submit to the authority certification data required by Section 1797.117.

(b) The authority shall collect fees from each certifying entity for the certification and certification renewal of each EMT-I and EMT-II in an amount sufficient to support the authority’s central registry program and the local EMS agency administrative law judge reimbursement program. Separate additional fees may be charged, at the option of the authority, for services that are not shared by all applicants.

(c) The authority’s fees shall be established in regulations, and fees charged for individual services shall be set so that the total fees charged shall not exceed the authority’s actual total cost for the authority’s central registry program, state and federal criminal offender record information search response program, and the local EMS agency administrative law judge reimbursement program.

(d) In addition to any fees collected by EMT-I or EMT-II certifying entities to support their certification, recertification, or enforcement programs, EMT-I or EMT-II certifying entities shall collect fees to support the authority’s central registry program, and the local EMS agency administrative law judge reimbursement program. In lieu of collecting fees from an individual, pursuant to an employer choice, a collective bargaining agreement, or other employment contract, the certifying entity shall provide the appropriate fees to the authority pursuant to this subdivision.

(e) All fees collected for or provided to the authority in a calendar month by an EMT-I or EMT-II certifying entity pursuant to this section shall be transmitted to the authority for deposit into the Emergency Medical Technician Certification Fund within 30 calendar days following the last day of the calendar month in which the fees were received by the certifying entity, unless a contract between the certifying entity and the authority specifies a different timeframe.

(f) At the option of the authority, fees may be collected for the authority by an entity that contracts with the authority to provide any of the services associated with the registry program, or the state and federal criminal offender record information search response program, or the local EMS agency administrative law judge reimbursement program. All fees collected for the authority in a calendar month by any entity designated by the authority pursuant to this section to collect fees for the authority shall be transmitted to the authority for deposit into the Emergency Medical Technician Certification Fund within 30 calendar days following the last day of the calendar month in which the fees were received by the designated entity, unless the contract between the entity and the authority specifies a different timeframe.

(g) The authority shall annually evaluate fees to determine if the fee is sufficient to fund the actual costs of the authority’s central registry program, state and federal criminal offender record information search response program, and local EMS agency administrative law judge reimbursement program. If the evaluation shows that the fees are excessive or are insufficient to fund the actual costs of these programs, then the fees will be adjusted accordingly through the rulemaking process as outlined in the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).

(h) The Emergency Medical Technician Certification Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury. All moneys deposited in the fund shall be made available, upon appropriation, to the authority for purposes of the central registry program, state and federal criminal offender record information search response program, and the local EMS agency administrative law judge reimbursement program. The local EMS agency administrative law judge reimbursement program is solely for the purpose of making reimbursements to local emergency medical service agencies for actual administrative law judge costs regarding EMT-I or EMT-II disciplinary action appeals. Reimbursement to the local emergency medical service agencies shall only be made if adequate funds are available from fees collected for the authority’s local EMS agency administrative law judge reimbursement program.

(i) The authority may transfer unused portions of the Emergency Medical Technician Certification Fund to the Surplus Money Investment Fund. Funds transferred to the Surplus Money Investment Fund shall be placed in a separate trust account, and shall be available for transfer to the Emergency Medical Technician Certification Fund, together with interest earned, when requested by the authority.

(j) The authority shall maintain a reserve balance in the Emergency Medical Technician Certification Fund of 5 percent of annual revenues. Any increase in the fees deposited in the Emergency Medical Technician Certification Fund shall be effective upon a determination by the authority that additional moneys are required to fund expenditures of this section.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 296, Sec. 150. (AB 1023) Effective January 1, 2012.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text: Any local EMS agency may authorize an advanced life support or limited advanced life support program which provides services utilizing EMT-II or EMT-P, or both, for the delivery of emergency medical care to the sick and injured at the scene of an emergency, during transport to a general acute care hospital, during interfacility transfer, while in the emergency department of a general acute care hospital until care responsibility is assumed by the regular staff of that hospital, and during training within the facilities of a participating general acute care hospital.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1983, Ch. 1246, Sec. 34.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text: All investigatory and disciplinary processes for EMT-I and EMT-II certificate holders shall be, subject to Chapter 9.6 (commencing with Section 3250) of Division 4 of Title 1 of the Government Code, with respect to certificate holders who are firefighters otherwise subject to these provisions, and Chapter 9.7 (commencing with Section 3300) of Division 4 of Title 1 of the Government Code, with respect to certificate holders who are peace officers otherwise subject to these provisions.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2008, Ch. 274, Sec. 14. Effective January 1, 2009.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text: The local EMS agency, using state minimum standards, shall establish policies and procedures approved by the medical director of the local EMS agency to assure medical control of the EMS system. The policies and procedures approved by the medical director may require basic life support emergency medical transportation services to meet any medical control requirements including dispatch, patient destination policies, patient care guidelines, and quality assurance requirements.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1988, Ch. 1390, Sec. 5.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text: The medical director of the local EMS agency may approve or conduct any scientific or trial study of the efficacy of the prehospital emergency use of any drug, device, or treatment procedure within the local EMS system, utilizing any level of prehospital emergency medical care personnel. The study shall be consistent with any requirements established by the authority for scientific or trial studies conducted within the prehospital emergency medical care system, and, where applicable, with Article 5 (commencing with Section 111550) of Chapter 6 of Part 5 of Division 104. No drug, device, or treatment procedure which has been specifically excluded by the authority from usage in the EMS system shall be included in such a study.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 1023, Sec. 174. Effective September 29, 1996.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text:
A county, upon the recommendation of its local EMS agency, may adopt ordinances governing the transport of a patient who is receiving care in the field from prehospital emergency medical personnel, when the patient meets specific criteria for trauma, burn, or pediatric centers adopted by the local EMS agency.

The ordinances shall, to the extent possible, ensure that individual patients receive appropriate medical care while protecting the interests of the community at large by making maximum use of available emergency medical care resources. These ordinances shall be consistent with Sections 1797.106, 1798.100, and 1798.102, and shall not conflict with any state regulations or any guidelines adopted by the Emergency Medical Service Authority.

This section shall not be construed as prohibiting the helicopter program of the Department of the California Highway Patrol from a role in providing emergency medical services when the best medically qualified person at the scene of an accident determines it is in the best interests of any injured party.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1983, Ch. 1237, Sec. 2.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text:
(a) (1) A public safety agency that provides “911” call processing services for emergency medical response shall make a connection available from the public safety agency dispatch center to an emergency medical services (EMS) provider’s dispatch center for the timely transmission of emergency response information.

(2) A public safety agency shall be entitled to recover from an EMS provider the actual costs incurred in establishing and maintaining a connection required by this subdivision.

(3) An EMS provider that elects not to use the connection provided pursuant to this subdivision shall be dispatched by the appropriate public safety agency and charged a rate negotiated by the parties.

(4) If an EMS provider is not directly dispatched from a public safety agency, the response interval for calculations for that EMS provider shall not include the call processing times of the public safety agency and shall begin upon receipt of notification by the EMS provider of the emergency response caller data, either electronically or by any other means prescribed in paragraph (5).

(5) For purposes of this subdivision, “connection” means either a direct computer aided dispatch (CAD) to CAD link, where permissible under law, between the public safety agency and an EMS provider or an indirect connection, including, but not limited to, a ring-down line, intercom, radio, or other electronic means for timely notification of caller data and the location of the emergency response.

(b) Unless a local EMS agency has approved an emergency medical dispatch (EMD) program in conformance with Section 1798.8, that allows for a tiered or modified response, the local EMS-agency-authorized EMS system providers, and the statutorily authorized EMS system providers within the jurisdiction of the incident, shall be simultaneously notified, or as close as technologically feasible, and dispatched at the same response mode.

(c) A public safety agency implementing an EMD program shall be subject to the review and approval of the local EMS agency, and shall perform “911” call processing services and operate the program in accordance with applicable state guidelines and regulations and the policies adopted by the local EMS agency that are consistent with Section 1798.8.

(d) A local EMS agency shall review and approve or deny a public safety agency’s plan to implement an EMD or advanced life support program within 90 days of submission of the plan. A public safety agency may elect to appeal any action of a local EMS agency as described in paragraphs (1) and (2):

(1) If a public safety agency’s application for an EMD or advanced life support program is not timely approved or is denied, an appeal shall be conducted in conformance with the administrative adjudication proceedings set forth in Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(2) A final decision rendered pursuant to this subdivision may be appealed to a court of competent jurisdiction.

(e) This section does not authorize a public safety agency to alter the response of a local EMS-agency-authorized EMS transport provider, including EMS transport providers operating pursuant to Section 1797.224, unless authorized by a local EMS agency.

(f) This section does not supersede Section 1797.201.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 370, Sec. 198. (SB 1371) Effective January 1, 2021.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text: A local EMS agency may create one or more exclusive operating areas in the development of a local plan, if a competitive process is utilized to select the provider or providers of the services pursuant to the plan. No competitive process is required if the local EMS agency develops or implements a local plan that continues the use of existing providers operating within a local EMS area in the manner and scope in which the services have been provided without interruption since January 1, 1981. A local EMS agency which elects to create one or more exclusive operating areas in the development of a local plan shall develop and submit for approval to the authority, as part of the local EMS plan, its competitive process for selecting providers and determining the scope of their operations. This plan shall include provisions for a competitive process held at periodic intervals. Nothing in this section supersedes Section 1797.201.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1984, Ch. 1349, Sec. 3.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text:
(a) A local EMS agency may adopt policies and procedures for calculating and reporting ambulance patient offload time, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 1797.120.

(b) A local EMS agency that adopts policies and procedures for calculating and reporting ambulance patient offload time pursuant to subdivision (a) shall do all of the following:

(1) Use the statewide standard methodology for calculating and reporting ambulance patient offload time developed by the authority pursuant to Section 1797.120.

(2) Establish criteria for the reporting of, and quality assurance followup for, a nonstandard patient offload time, as defined in subdivision (c).

(c) (1) For the purposes of this section, a “nonstandard patient offload time” means that the ambulance patient offload time for a patient exceeds a period of time designated in the criteria established by the local EMS agency pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b).

(2) “Nonstandard patient offload time” does not include instances in which the ambulance patient offload time exceeds the period set by the local EMS agency due to acts of God, natural disasters, or manmade disasters.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2015, Ch. 379, Sec. 2. (AB 1223) Effective January 1, 2016.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text:
Without altering or otherwise affecting the meaning of any portion of this division as to any other county, as to San Bernardino County only, it shall be competent for any local EMS agency which establishes exclusive operating areas pursuant to Section 1797.224 to determine the following:

(a) That a minor alteration in the level of life support personnel or equipment, which does not significantly reduce the level of care available, shall not constitute a change in the manner and scope of providing services.

(b) That a successor to a previously existing emergency services provider shall qualify as an existing provider if the successor has continued uninterrupted the emergency transportation previously supplied by the prior provider.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 965, Sec. 1.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text:
(a) An emergency medical care provider shall do both of the following when collecting and submitting data to a local EMS agency:

(1) Use an electronic health record system that exports data in a format that is compliant with the current versions of the California Emergency Medical Services Information System (CEMSIS) and the National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) standards and includes those data elements that are required by the local EMS agency.

(2) Ensure that the electronic health record system can be integrated with the local EMS agency’s data system, so that the local EMS agency may collect data from the provider.

(b) A local EMS agency shall not mandate that a provider use a specific electronic health record system to collect and share data with the local EMS agency.

(c) This section does not modify or affect a written contract or agreement executed before January 1, 2016, between a local EMS agency and an emergency medical care provider.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2015, Ch. 377, Sec. 1. (AB 1129) Effective January 1, 2016.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text:
(a) (1) On or before July 1, 2019, a local EMS agency shall transmit ambulance patient offload time data quarterly to the authority, consistent with the policies and procedures developed pursuant to Section 1797.225.

(2) The data must be sufficient for the authority to calculate ambulance patient offload time, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 1797.120, by local EMS agency jurisdiction and by each facility in a local EMS agency jurisdiction.

(b) Notwithstanding Section 1797.122, the local EMS agency shall ensure that personally identifying patient data is not included in the submission of data to calculate patient offload time.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 656, Sec. 3. (AB 2961) Effective January 1, 2019.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text:
(a) (1) A county may contract for emergency ambulance services with a fire agency that will provide those services, in whole or in part, through a written subcontract with a private ambulance service.

(2) This subdivision is declaratory of existing law regarding a county’s powers and authority to contract for emergency ambulance services.

(b) For purposes of this section, “fire agency” means a fire protection district, including a fire protection district that is governed by the county’s board of supervisors, a joint powers agency created for the provision of fire protection services, a city, a special district that provides fire protection services, or a local agency authorized by statute to provide fire protection services.

(c) On and after January 1, 2022, a county shall not enter into or renew a contract for emergency ambulance services unless the county board of supervisors has adopted, by ordinance or resolution, a written policy setting forth issues to be considered for inclusion in the county contract for emergency ambulance services, which may include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Employment retention requirements for the employees of the incumbent ambulance service.

(2) Demonstrated experience serving similar populations and geographic areas.

(3) Diversity and equity efforts addressing the unique needs of vulnerable and underserved populations of the service area.

(4) Financial requirements, including requiring a private ambulance service provider to show proof of insurance and bonding.

(5) A description of the ambulance service provider’s public information and education activities and community involvement.

(d) If a county contracts for emergency ambulance services as described in this section, the county contract shall demonstrate how the county contract will provide for the payment of comparable wages and benefits to all ambulance service employees that are generally consistent with those provided to ambulance service employees in the same geographic region. The county contract shall also demonstrate that the staffing levels for ambulance service employees will be comparable to the staffing levels under the county’s previous contract.

(e) The requirements of this section are within the exclusive jurisdiction of the county’s board of supervisors.

(f) This section shall not supersede Section 1797.201 and shall not alter, modify, abridge, diminish, or enlarge the requirements for creating, establishing, or maintaining an exclusive operating area under Section 1797.224.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 460, Sec. 1. (AB 389) Effective January 1, 2022.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency


text:
(a) (1)  A fire agency, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 1797.230, may enter into a written subcontract with a private ambulance service for the purpose of contracting with a county as described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 1797.230.

(2) This subdivision is declaratory of existing law regarding a fire agency’s powers and authority to subcontract for emergency ambulance services.

(b) On or after January 1, 2022, a county may not enter into or renew a contract for emergency ambulance services with a fire agency, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 1797.230, that includes a written subcontract with a private ambulance service, unless the fire agency adopts a written policy that requires the written subcontract to be awarded pursuant to a competitive bidding process consistent with Section 20812 of the Public Contract Code. The written policy shall set forth issues to be considered during the fire agency’s competitive bidding process, which may include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Whether safeguards are in place to prevent an entity submitting a bid, including an officer, employee, agent, representative, or other official of the entity, from participating in the deliberations of the fire agency in awarding the subcontract.

(2) Whether consideration for awarding the written subcontract is given only to bidders who submit complete applications in response to a written request for proposals, written request for qualifications, or other similar written request for bids. The written request shall not be prepared in whole or in part by any entity submitting a bid in the competitive bidding process, including an entity’s officers, employees, agents, representatives, or officials.

(3) Whether the written request described in paragraph (2) adequately describes criteria to evaluate a bidder’s demonstrated ability and commitment to providing cost-efficient and high-quality services, which may include, but are not limited to, the following:

(A) Experience and history providing emergency ambulance services in a safe and efficient manner.

(B) Managerial experience and qualifications of key personnel.

(C) Effectiveness of operational processes and assets, including quality of ambulance fleet and equipment, dispatch, customer service, and working conditions of ambulance personnel.

(D) Performance monitoring and quality control.

(E) Reasonable service rates and charges.

(F) Financial stability to maintain an uninterrupted and consistent level of service.

(c) (1) A fire agency that enters into a written subcontract with a private ambulance service as described in subdivision (a), shall provide the ambulance service provider with reasonable advance written notice of any operational changes under the written subcontract between the fire agency and the ambulance service provider.

(2) The fire agency shall, in a timely fashion, use best efforts to address concerns raised by the ambulance service provider employees regarding any operational changes under the written subcontract and shall communicate its written responses to those concerns to the ambulance service provider.

(d) A bidding ambulance service participating in a fire agency’s competitive bidding process pursuant to this section shall demonstrate in its response to a written request for proposals, written request for qualifications, or other similar written request for bids that its ambulance service employees are provided with all of the following:

(1) Comparable wages, benefits, and staffing generally consistent with those provided to ambulance service employees in the same geographic region.

(2) Specific mechanisms to ensure adequate and open communication with the contracting fire agency in order to facilitate immediate notice to the recognized employee organization or official representative of the ambulance service provider’s employees whenever operational changes are proposed and noticed by the contracting fire agency, as required by subdivision (c), and are likely to have a material impact on the employees’ wages, hours, or other terms and conditions of employment.

(3) Effective access to the contracting fire agency by the recognized employee organization or official representative of the employees to directly provide input on operational changes, as described in paragraph (2), and, if requested by the recognized employee organization or official representative of the employees, facilitation of immediate access to the fire agency to allow the employees to set forth specific concerns about the operational changes.

(e) This section does not limit a fire agency’s authority to enter into agreements with other public entities, including agreements to provide for ambulance services.

(f) The requirements of this section are within the exclusive jurisdiction of the governing body of the fire agency.

(g) This section does not supersede Section 1797.201 and shall not alter, modify, abridge, diminish, or enlarge the requirements for creating, establishing, or maintaining an exclusive operating area under Section 1797.224.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 460, Sec. 2. (AB 389) Effective January 1, 2022.)

article: 1. Local EMS Agency