Sebastopol Municipal Code Ch. 5.22 Ambulance Service Within the City of Sebastopol and Providing For…

This chapter is to provide for the public health, safety and welfare in the use of emergency ambulance and other pre-hospital care resources by the establishment of effective standards for the operation, equipment, and personnel of pre-hospital emergency care services. This chapter does not cover wheelchair vans, gurney cars, or similar nonemergency vehicles or operations or to vehicles not requiring an emergency vehicle permit from the California Highway Patrol. This chapter shall be liberally construed for the accomplishment of these purposes.

This chapter shall be administered by the Sonoma County Health Officer. The Sonoma County Public Health Department has been designated as the Sonoma County Emergency Medical Services Agency pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Section 1797.200. The Sonoma County Public Health Department has been designated as the health authority for the City of Sebastopol.

It shall be unlawful for any person, either an owner, agent, or otherwise, to operate, conduct, advertise, or otherwise engage in or profess to be engaged in the business or service of the transportation of emergency medical patients upon the streets, or any public way or place, in the incorporated territory of the City of Sebastopol without possessing a valid permit to do so issued pursuant to Section 28 of the Sonoma County Code and has entered into a written agreement for ambulance service within the City of Sebastopol. Upon compliance with the foregoing, certificate of public convenience and necessity under Ordinance No. 411 of the City of Sebastopol shall not be required.

The equipment, requirements and standards for ambulances specified in this chapter shall apply to all ambulance operators within the City of Sebastopol. However, a permit shall not be required for:

A. Publicly owned ambulances;

B. Vehicles operated as ambulances at the request of local authorities during any “state of war emergency,” duly proclaimed “state of emergency,” or “local emergency” as defined in the California Emergency Services Act (Chapter 7 of Division I of Title 2 of the Government Code) as amended.

Upon the receipt of a completed application, the Health Officer shall conduct an investigation to determine if the applicant meets all the requirements of Chapter 28 of the Sonoma County Code.

Each ambulance service and any ambulance vehicle being operated to render medical care shall fully comply with all applicable sections of the California Health and Safety Code, the California Vehicle Code, and the Sonoma County Code, including, but not limited to, Section 28 thereof and all City ordinances, resolutions and regulations.

No ambulance shall initiate an emergency response within the City of Sebastopol unless the response has been authorized by the Sonoma County Emergency Medical Services Dispatch Center.

During any “state of war emergency,” “state of emergency,” or “local emergency,” as defined in the California Emergency Services Act (Chapter 7 of Division I of Title 2 of the Government Code), as amended, each ambulance service operator shall provide equipment, facilities and personnel as required by the Health Officer.

An Administrative Policy Committee shall be herewith established and shall be comprised of five members: the City Manager, the Fire Chief, the Chief of Police of the City of Sebastopol, a representative of the ambulance service which has executed an agreement for ambulance service within the City of Sebastopol, and the County Emergency Medical Services Coordinator as a nonvoting member of the committee. The purpose of said committee shall be to evaluate the provisions of service policies and to discuss and consider matters of mutual concern relating to providing emergency medical services and to review and make recommendations concerning any complaints regarding ambulance services and such other duties as may be delegated to said committee.

Before any ambulance is routinely operated within the City of Sebastopol, a written agreement shall be entered into with the City of Sebastopol providing, among other things, for adequate insurance, move-up procedures, level of service, indemnification provisions and such other requirements as may be requested by City.

A. The Health Officer shall make all necessary and reasonable rules and regulations covering ambulance service operation, ambulance equipment, ambulance vehicles, ambulance personnel and for the effective and reasonable administration of this chapter.

B. The Health Officer shall inspect the records, facilities, vehicles, equipment and methods of operation whenever such inspections are deemed necessary.

C. Any permit issued hereunder may be revoked or suspended by the County pursuant to Section 28 of the Sonoma County Code for any violation of the terms of this chapter, violation of the agreement as provided in Section 10, and violation of any laws, rules or regulations as provided in SMC 5.22.060.