SB 573, as amended, Lieu. Vehicles: emergency vehicles.
Existing law authorizes the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol to issue authorized emergency vehicle permits for specified vehicles, and then only upon a finding in each case that the vehicle is used in responding to emergency calls for fire or law enforcement or for the immediate preservation of life or property or for the apprehension of law violators.
This bill would authorize thebegin delete issuance ofend deletebegin insert commissioner to issueend insert an emergency vehicle permit to a vehicle owned and operated by a hospital designated by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services as a disaster resource center hospital,begin delete thatend deletebegin insert
if the vehicleend insert is used exclusively to transportbegin delete mass-casualtyend deletebegin insert mass casualtyend insert decontamination apparatus medical supplies, lifesaving equipment, or personnel to the scene of an emergency, as specified.begin insert The bill would require the hospital responsible for operating the vehicle to provide emergency vehicle operations training to vehicle operators and to maintain insurance coverage for the vehicle.end insert
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Los Angeles.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 2416 of the Vehicle Code is amended to
2read:
(a) The Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol
4may issue authorized emergency vehicle permits only for the
5following vehicles, and then only upon a finding in each case that
6the vehicle is used in responding to emergency calls for fire or law
7enforcement or for the immediate preservation of life or property
8or for the apprehension of law violators:
9(1) Any vehicle maintained in whole or in part by the state, a
10countybegin insert,end insert or a city and privately owned and operated by a marshal,
11deputy marshal, or person who is a member of, and who receives
12salary from, and is regularly employed by, a police department or
13sheriff’s
department, if the state, countybegin insert,end insert or city does not furnish
14to that person a publicly owned authorized emergency vehicle.
15(2) Any vehicle owned and operated by a public utility, used
16primarily to accomplish emergency repairs to utility facilities or
17used primarily by railroad police officers, who are commissioned
18by the Governor, in the performance of their duties.
19(3) Firefighting or rescue equipment designed and operated
20exclusively as such.
21(4) Any vehicle operated by the chief, assistant chief, or one
22other uniformed person designated by the chief of a fire department
23organized as provided in the Health and Safety Code or the
24Government Code or pursuant to special act of the Legislature.
25(5) Any vehicle of an air pollution control district used to
26enforce provisions of law relating to air pollution from motor
27vehicles.
28(6) Any vehicle operated by the chief of any fire department
29established on any base of the Armed Forces of the United States.
30(7) Any vehicle owned and operated by any fire company
31organized pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with Section 14825)
32of the Health and Safety Code.
33(8) Privately owned ambulances licensed pursuant to Chapter
342.5 (commencing with Section 2500).
P3 1(9) Vehicles other than privately owned ambulances used by
2privately owned ambulance operators exclusively to transport
3medical supplies, lifesaving equipment, or personnel to the scene
4of an
emergency when a request for medical supplies, lifesaving
5equipment, or personnel has been made by any person or public
6agency responsible for providing emergency medical
7transportation. These vehicles shall display a sign or lettering not
8less than two and one-half inches in height, in a color providing a
9sharp contrast to its background, on each side showing the name
10of the ambulance operator.
11(10) Any vehicle owned and operated by an office or department
12of a city, county, or district that is designated by an ordinance
13adopted by the governing body of that local agency as a hazardous
14materials response team vehicle for response to hazardous materials
15emergencies.
16(11) Any vehicle owned and operated by a hospital designated
17by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services as a
18disaster resource centerbegin delete hospital,end deletebegin insert
hospitalend insert that is used exclusively
19to transportbegin delete mass-casualtyend deletebegin insert mass casualtyend insert decontamination apparatus
20medical supplies, lifesaving equipment, or personnel to the scene
21of anbegin delete emergency,end deletebegin insert
emergencyend insert at the request of a fire department or
22law enforcement agency, a hospital incident management team,
23the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Service Agency, or
24any other public agency responsible for providing local emergency
25services. The hospital responsible for operating the vehicle pursuant
26to this paragraph shall maintain insurance coverage for the vehicle
27in accordance with the financial responsibility provisions of
28Division 7 (commencing with Section 16000)begin insert and provide
29emergency vehicle operations training to vehicle operatorsend insert.
30(b) The commissioner may adopt and enforce regulations to
31implement this section.
32(c) Violation of any regulation adopted by the commissioner
33pursuant to this section is a
misdemeanor.
The Legislature finds and declares that a special law
35is necessary and that a general law cannot be made applicable
36within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California
37Constitution because of the unique circumstances in the County
38of Los Angeles relative to its disaster resource center program,
P4 1which is coordinated by the Los Angeles County Emergency
2Medical Services Agency and funded through federal grants.
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