BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 573
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Date of Hearing: June 23, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
SB 573 (Lieu) - As Amended: June 17, 2014
SENATE VOTE : 33-0
SUBJECT : Vehicles: emergency vehicles
SUMMARY : Allows vehicles owned and operated by certain
hospitals used exclusively for specific emergency response
activities to be eligible for emergency vehicle permits issued
by the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
Specifically, this bill :
1)Makes legislative findings and declarations regarding the need
to provide emergency response authority to specific hospitals
in Los Angeles County.
2)Adds to the list of vehicles eligible for an emergency vehicle
permit issued by the CHP Commissioner any vehicle owned and
operated by a hospital designated by the Los Angeles County
Department of Health Services as a disaster resource center
(DRC) hospital.
3)Specifies that the eligible vehicle is to be used exclusively
to transport emergency medical supplies, lifesaving equipment,
or personnel to the scene of an emergency.
4)Specifies that emergency response procedures carried out by
the hospital and eligible vehicle are to be used only when
requested by the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services
Agency (LAEMA) or the California Office of Emergency Services
(CAOES).
5)Requires the authorized emergency vehicle to maintain
sufficient insurance coverage, as specified, requires
emergency vehicles operators to receive and complete emergency
vehicle operations training and maintain the appropriate class
of driver's license, and requires operator's training records
to be kept in the emergency vehicle.
EXISTING LAW : Allows the CHP Commissioner to issue an
authorized emergency vehicle permit for specific vehicles if the
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Commissioner determines that the vehicle is used in responding
to emergency calls for fires or law enforcement, for the
immediate preservation of life or property, or the apprehension
of law violators.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : Established in 2003, the Urban Areas Security
Initiative (UASI) is one of five programs under the Homeland
Security Grant Program developed by the United States Department
of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide security and emergency
preparedness grants to state and local agencies. The UASI
provides funding to state agencies such as the CAOES which then
provides grant funding to local agencies and/or DRCs to enhance
regional preparedness in major metropolitan areas in order to
effectively respond to a natural disaster or terrorist attack.
DHS has designated the Los Angeles/Long Beach region and San
Francisco Bay region as two of the ten high-risk regional areas
within the United States.
Presently, 13 hospitals have been designated as a DRC within Los
Angeles County. These DRCs have purchased emergency response
equipment, trailers, and vehicles with DHS grant funds in order
to improve the capabilities of the healthcare system to respond
to an emergency. The LAEMA coordinates these centers is the
agency that would issue a request that the DRCs deploy their
resources during a declared emergency.
This bill will provide CHP with the authority to issue currently
ineligible Los Angeles County DRCs an emergency vehicle permit.
The author introduced this bill at the request of Cedars-Sinai
Medical Center in Los Angeles so that ineligible DRC hospitals
can apply to CHP to allow their DRC vehicles to initiate
emergency response equipment at a "code 3" level (flashing
lights and sirens) and operate outside of the Vehicle Code's
rules of the road when deployment is requested. This request is
due to the fact that 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, along with a number of other LA
County DRCs, do not operate an ambulance service and, as a
result are not eligible to apply to CHP to receive an emergency
response permit.
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Currently, the vehicles purchased by LA County DRCs are provided
magnets and stickers by LAEMA which can be affixed to and
identify DRC vehicles when being deployed to respond to a
natural disaster. Additionally, DRCs have the ability to
request escort assistance from local law enforcement when
deployment is requested. It is important to note that since the
DRC program was established in 2003, the sponsors of this bill
have indicated that their DRC vehicle has not been deployed to
transport medical materials to an incident that required an
emergency response escort.
Writing in support of this bill, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
notes that under existing law, DRC vehicles face the potential
of being delayed when deployment is requested to a disaster
location or being turned away by emergency personnel based upon
the current setup and identification of the vehicle.
Cedars-Sinai further asserts the provisions specified in this
bill will provide DRC vehicles with the ability to rapidly
deploy critical medical equipment, supplies, and personnel to an
area impacted by an emergency.
In opposition to this bill, the California Professional
Firefighters (CPF) writes, that existing emergency response
procedures enable disaster response center vehicles to receive
an emergency response escort from the appropriate provider per
the directive of the County Office of Emergency Services. CPF
further notes that the provisions in this bill may set a
precedent that will lead to additional types of vehicles
requesting to be granted authority to use emergency lights and
sirens and, in turn, potentially cause logistical issues related
to emergency response and traffic management.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (sponsor)
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees
(AFSCME)
Beverly Hills Fire Department
Beverly Hills Police Department
California Association of Highway Patrolman
California Hospital Association
California Hospital Medical Center
Centinela Hospital Medical Center
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City of Beverly Hills
City of Los Angeles, Emergency Management Department
City of West Hollywood
Culver City Fire Department
Emergency Management Department of the City of Los Angeles
HCH at Brotman Medical Center
Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital
LAC+USC Medical Center
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Marina Del Rey Hospital
Olympia Medical Center
PIH Health Hospital
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center
Providence Health and Services, Southern California
Saint John's Health Center
St. Mary Medical Center
UCLA Medical Center
11 Individuals
Opposition
California Professional Firefighters
Analysis Prepared by : Manny Leon / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093