CYPRESS : Council Opposes Bill on Ambulance Rules

The City Council opposes proposed state legislation that would strip cities of the right to regulate ambulances used for emergency medical service.

A pending bill in the state Legislature in Sacramento would give counties sole control of such operations.

The measure, Assembly Bill 3156, introduced by Assemblyman Curtis Tucker (D-Inglewood), would make each county’s Board of Supervisors “the sole public entity to authorize the implementation, and control the operation of, the system for the provision of emergency ambulance services in the incorporated and unincorporated areas of the county,” according to a city staff report.

The report to the council said the bill “will preempt the ability of a city or district to choose how Emergency Medical Services System (EMS) transportation services shall be structured and financed within the city.”

Currently, cities are free to provide such services, contract with a private company or establish a shared public/private partnership, the memo said, adding that if the bill passes, “these choices will be available to a city or district only insofar as they are allowed by the county.”

The California League of Cities and the California Fire Chiefs’ Assn. are among state organizations that have also announced opposition to the bill.

The Cypress City Council unanimously voted to add its name to the list of opponents of the bill.

The council’s resolution said, “Local government, including the City of Cypress, must maintain the right to assess how best to provide those services based on local needs and opportunities.”