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 the commissioner to issue 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 hospitalbegin insert at the request of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Services or the California Emergency Management Agencyend insert, if the vehicle is used exclusively to transport mass casualty decontamination apparatus medical supplies, lifesaving equipment, or personnel to the scene of an emergency, as specified. The bill would require the hospital responsible for operating the vehicle to provide emergency vehicle operations training tobegin insert the designatedend insert vehicle operatorsbegin insert, to maintain a record of the training in the vehicle, to ensure that the designated vehicle operators maintain an appropriate class of driver’s license,end insert and to maintain insurance coverage for the vehicle.
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
10county, 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, county, 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.
P3 1(7) Any vehicle owned and operated by any fire company
2organized pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with Section 14825)
3of the Health and Safety Code.
4(8) Privately owned ambulances licensed pursuant to Chapter
52.5 (commencing with Section 2500).
6(9) Vehicles other than privately owned ambulances used by
7privately owned ambulance operators exclusively to transport
8medical supplies,
lifesaving equipment, or personnel to the scene
9of an emergency when a request for medical supplies, lifesaving
10equipment, or personnel has been made by any person or public
11agency responsible for providing emergency medical
12transportation. These vehicles shall display a sign or lettering not
13less than two and one-half inches in height, in a color providing a
14sharp contrast to its background, on each side showing the name
15of the ambulance operator.
16(10) Any vehicle owned and operated by an office or department
17of a city, county, or district that is designated by an ordinance
18adopted by the governing body of that local agency as a hazardous
19materials response team vehicle for response to hazardous materials
20emergencies.
21(11) Any vehicle owned and operated by a hospital designated
22by
the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services as a
23disaster resource center hospital that is used exclusively to transport
24mass casualty decontamination apparatus medical supplies,
25lifesaving equipment, or personnel to the scene of an emergency
26at the request ofbegin delete a fire department or law enforcement agency, a begin insert the Los Angeles
27hospital incident management team, the Los Angeles County
28Emergency Medical Service Agency, or any other public agency
29responsible for providing local emergency servicesend delete
30County Office of Emergency Services or the California Emergency
31Management Agencyend insert. The hospital responsible for operating the
32vehicle pursuant to this paragraph shall maintain insurance
33coverage for the vehicle in accordance
with the financial
34responsibility provisions of Division 7 (commencing with Section
3516000)begin delete andend deletebegin insert,end insert provide emergency vehicle operations training to begin insertthe
36designated end insertvehicle operatorsbegin insert, maintain a record of that training
37in the vehicle, and ensure that the designated vehicle operators
38maintain an appropriate class of driver’s licenseend insert.
39(b) The commissioner may adopt and enforce regulations to
40implement this section.
P4 1(c) Violation of any regulation
adopted by the commissioner
2pursuant to this section is a misdemeanor.
The Legislature finds and declares that a special law
4is necessary and that a general law cannot be made applicable
5within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California
6Constitution because of the unique circumstances in the County
7of Los Angeles relative to its disaster resource center program,
8which is coordinated by the Los Angeles County Emergency
9Medical Services Agency and funded through federal grants.
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