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 hospital at the request of the Los Angeles Countybegin delete Office ofend delete Emergencybegin insert Medicalend insert
Servicesbegin insert Agencyend insert
or thebegin delete California Emergency Management Agencyend deletebegin insert state’s Office of Emergency Servicesend 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 to the designated vehicle operators, 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, 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.
P3 1(6) Any vehicle operated by the chief of any fire department
2established on any base of the Armed Forces of the United States.
3(7) Any vehicle owned and operated by any fire company
4organized pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with Section 14825)
5of the Health and Safety Code.
6(8) Privately owned ambulances licensed pursuant to Chapter
72.5 (commencing with Section 2500).
8(9) Vehicles other than privately owned ambulances used by
9privately owned ambulance operators exclusively to transport
10medical supplies, lifesaving
equipment, or personnel to the scene
11of an emergency when a request for medical supplies, lifesaving
12equipment, or personnel has been made by any person or public
13agency responsible for providing emergency medical
14transportation. These vehicles shall display a sign or lettering not
15less than two and one-half inches in height, in a color providing a
16sharp contrast to its background, on each side showing the name
17of the ambulance operator.
18(10) Any vehicle owned and operated by an office or department
19of a city, county, or district that is designated by an ordinance
20adopted by the governing body of that local agency as a hazardous
21materials response team vehicle for response to hazardous materials
22emergencies.
23(11) Any vehicle owned and operated by a hospital designated
24by
the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services as a
25disaster resource center hospital that is used exclusively to transport
26mass casualty decontamination apparatus medical supplies,
27lifesaving equipment, or personnel to the scene of an emergency
28at the request of the Los Angeles Countybegin delete Office of Emergency begin insert Emergency Medical Services Agencyend insert or the
29Servicesend deletebegin delete California begin insert state’s Office of Emergency
30Emergency Management Agencyend delete
31Servicesend insert. The hospital responsible for operating the vehicle
32pursuant to this paragraph shall maintain insurance coverage for
33the
vehicle in accordance with the financial responsibility
34provisions of Division 7 (commencing with Section 16000),
35provide emergency vehicle operations training to the designated
36vehicle operators, maintain a record of that training in the vehicle,
37and ensure that the designated vehicle operators maintain an
38appropriate class of driver’s license.
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.
O
95