BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 573|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 573
Author: Lieu (D)
Amended: 1/15/14
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE : 11-0, 1/14/14
AYES: DeSaulnier, Gaines, Beall, Cannella, Galgiani, Hueso,
Lara, Liu, Pavley, Roth, Wyland
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT : Vehicles: emergency vehicles
SOURCE : Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
DIGEST : This bill makes vehicles owned and operated by
specified hospitals and used exclusively for specified emergency
response activities eligible for authorized emergency vehicle
permits.
ANALYSIS : An authorized emergency vehicle permit allows a
vehicle's owner to equip it with and use red lights, flashing
headlights, a siren, and other equipment. In addition, state
law exempts an authorized emergency vehicle from most rules of
the road when its flashing lights are on and it is using its
siren as necessary.
Existing law allows the Commissioner of the California Highway
Patrol (CHP) to issue an authorized emergency vehicle permit for
a specified vehicle if the commissioner makes a finding that the
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vehicle is used in responding to emergency calls for fire or law
enforcement, for the immediate preservation of life or property,
or for the apprehension of law violators.
Eligible vehicles include publicly or privately owned vehicles
operated by a marshal, deputy marshal, police personnel, or
sheriff's department personnel; firefighting equipment;
hazardous materials response vehicles; privately-owned
ambulances; and vehicles owned by private ambulance operators to
transport medical supplies, lifesaving equipment, or personnel
to the scene of an emergency when requested by a person or
public agency responsible for providing emergency medical
transportation.
This bill:
1.Adds to the list of vehicles eligible for an authorized
emergency vehicle permit any vehicle owned and operated by a
hospital that the Los Angeles County Department of Health has
designated as a disaster resource center hospital, provided
that the vehicle is used exclusively to transport
mass-casualty decontamination apparatus medical supplies,
lifesaving equipment, or personnel to the scene of an
emergency at the request of the Los Angeles County Office of
Emergency Services or the California Emergency Management
Agency.
2.Requires the hospital maintain insurance coverage for the
vehicle; provide emergency vehicle operations training to the
designated vehicle operators; maintain a record of that
training in the vehicle; and ensure that the designated
vehicle operators maintain an appropriate class of driver's
license.
Comments
According to the author, this bill was introduced at the request
of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles so that it could
operate emergency response equipment with flashing lights
outside of the Vehicle Code's rules of the road.
The author reports that 13 disaster resource center hospitals
within Los Angeles County, including Cedars-Sinai, have
purchased emergency response equipment, trailers, and vehicles
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with federal government grant funds in order to improve the
capabilities of the healthcare system to respond to an
emergency. The Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services
Agency coordinates these centers and would request that they
deploy their resources during a declared emergency. Two of the
13 hospitals (UCLA and LA County/USC) are public entities that
also have police forces and so are eligible to receive emergency
vehicle permits from the CHP, but Cedars-Sinai and the other
private hospitals are not, primarily because they do not operate
their own ambulance services.
While CHP may issue a private ambulance a permit to operate an
emergency support vehicle to move these types of disaster
response equipment, supplies, and personnel, Cedars-Sinai
Medical Center does not operate, nor does it intend to operate,
an ambulance service. This bill provides CHP with the authority
to issue Cedars-Sinai and other private hospitals a permit even
though they do not operate ambulances.
Currently, the LA County Emergency Medical Services Agency
provides magnets and stickers to the disaster resource center
vehicles and trailers to place on the sides of vehicles in times
of emergency deployment, as well as a letter indicating that the
vehicles and trailers are carrying emergency equipment that is
destined for the impacted emergency/disaster location or
healthcare facility. Cedars-Sinai notes that these decals and
letter are helpful, but believes that when a disaster occurs
these types of identification would be inadequate to move the
emergency vehicles through emergency access control lines and
navigate through traffic congestion.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 1/21/14)
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (source)
Beverly Hills Fire Department
Beverly Hills Police Department
California Hospital Association
California Hospital Medical Center
Centinela Hospital Medical Center
City of Beverly Hills
City of West Hollywood
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Culver City Fire Department
HCH at Brotman Medical Center
Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital
LAC+USC Medical Center
Marina Del Rey Hospital
PIH Health Hospital
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center
Saint John's Health Center
St. Mary Medical Center Disaster Resource Center
UCLA Medical Center
West Hollywood Mayor Jeffrey Prang
JA:nl 1/21/14 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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