San Joaquin County Municipal Code Ch. 1 General Provisions

This Division shall be known as the "Ambulance Ordinance of San Joaquin County."

(Ord. No. 4563, 8-18-2020)

The purposes of this Division are to:

(1) Enact formal policies and regulations for licensing and regulating the operation of ambulances and litter vans;

(2) Protect the public by assuring that ambulances and litter vans operate safely;

(3) Allow for adequate, appropriate, and efficient emergency ambulance service, non-emergency ambulance services, and litter vans in all areas of the County; and

(4) Allow for the orderly and lawful operation of a local emergency medical services system pursuant to the provisions of Health and Safety Code Section 1797 et seq.

(Ord. No. 4563, 8-18-2020)

(1) This Division shall not apply to vehicles operated as ambulances and to persons engaged in the ambulance service where ambulance services are rendered at the request of any County communications center or at the request of any law enforcement or fire protection agency during any "state of war emergency," "state of emergency," or "local emergency" as defined in Government Code Section 8558 or during any period (not over thirty (30) days, but renewable every thirty (30) days) when the county officials have determined that adequate emergency ambulance service will not be available from existing permittees;

(2) This Division shall not prevent any peace officer, fire fighter, or physician licensed to practice medicine in this state, from arranging for the transportation of an individual, in need of emergency medical care when no ambulance with an appropriate ambulance service permit is available and such transportation is required immediately for the preservation of life or to avoid substantial impairment of the person to be transported.

(Ord. No. 4563, 8-18-2020)

Upon adoption by a city of the ordinance codified in this Division, the Permit Officer shall have enforcement powers within that city. However, lack of adoption of all or part of this ordinance by a city shall not be interpreted as limiting any authority granted to the San Joaquin County Emergency Medical Services Agency by Division 2.5 of the California Health and Safety Code or any regulations or guidelines promulgated thereunder.

(Ord. No. 4563, 8-18-2020)

(1) The Permit Officer shall make necessary, reasonable, and applicable rules and regulations covering ambulance service and litter van operation, ambulance and litter van transport equipment, ambulance personnel, and standards of dispatch for the effective and reasonable administration of this Division.

(2) These regulations for ambulance service shall include, but not be limited to:

(a) Response time standards for emergency responses in each area of the county;

(b) Identification of required clinical or operational reports and dispatch records;

(c) Personnel requirements;

(d) Equipment requirements;

(e) Vehicle requirements;

(f) Countywide system status management plan;

(g) Other clinical, operational, and dispatch standards;

(h) Clinical and operational data reports.

(Ord. No. 4563, 8-18-2020)