Existing law, the Emergency Medical Services System and the Prehospital Emergency Medical Care Personnel Act, governs local emergency medical services (EMS) systems and authorizes each county to develop an EMS program and designate a local EMS agency. Existing law requires a county to enter into a written agreement with a city or fire district that contracted for or provided prehospital EMS as of June 1, 1980. Existing law requires, until that written agreement is reached, prehospital EMS to be continued at not less than the existing level and the administration of prehospital EMS by cities and fire districts contracting for or providing those services as of June 1, 1980, to be retained by those cities and fire districts.

This bill would require a city to be treated as if it had retained its authorities regarding, and the administration of, prehospital EMS if specified requirements are met. If a joint powers agreement regarding prehospital EMS was initially executed on or after January 1, 2025, the bill would ensure a city or fire district retains its existing authorities regarding, and the administration of, prehospital EMS. The bill would set various conditions for a joint powers agreement, including, among other things, requiring uniform operational procedures for prehospital EMS throughout the EMS area or subarea covered by the agreement.

Existing law defines “exclusive operating area” as an EMS area or subarea defined by the emergency medical services plan for which a local EMS agency, upon the recommendation of a county, restricts operations to one or more emergency ambulance services or providers, as specified. Existing law authorizes a local EMS agency to create one or more exclusive operating areas in the development of a local plan if a competitive process is utilized to select the provider or providers of the services pursuant to the plan.

This bill would require the local EMS agency, if a city’s assertion of its authorities regarding, and administration of, the prehospital EMS causes a local EMS area to no longer satisfy the requirements for an exclusive operating area as mentioned above, to provide a right of first refusal to the exclusive operating area’s designated provider or providers to continue providing services in a new exclusive operating area composed of the remainder of the local EMS area outside of the city, which would be deemed an exclusive operating area created without a competitive process. The bill would authorize the county to provide prehospital EMS, including emergency ambulance services, as specified, in the remainder of the local EMS area on an exclusive basis if the designated provider or providers decline to continue services. The bill would require a specified city to enter into an agreement with the county to provide prehospital EMS, including emergency ambulance services, within the remainder of the local EMS area on an exclusive basis, as specified, if the county determines that specified options are not economically viable, would reduce the level or quality of care in the remainder of the local EMS area, or are not in the county’s best interests. The bill would require the parties developing contracts pursuant to these provisions to collaborate on response time standards for the local EMS area, and would require those standards to meet or exceed the response time standards previously established by the local EMS agency for that area. By creating new duties for local EMS agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.