Court Ruling May Affect Ventura Ambulance Service

In a landmark decision that could affect ambulance service in the city of Ventura, the state Supreme Court on Monday ruled that if a city did not provide emergency ambulance service before June 1, 1980, it cannot get into the business now--without county approval.

In a reversal of an earlier appellate court decision, the justices voted 5 to 4 that a city may not expand its emergency medical services beyond what it provided 17 years ago. The ruling, which puts an end to San Bernardino’s city-run ambulance service, has essentially the same effect on Ventura’s year-old ambulance program.

Barbara Brodfuehrer, Ventura County’s emergency medical services administrator, said county supervisors have three options at this point: to continue the agreement with the city, to return the service to the former operator or to put ambulance service in Ventura out to bid.

But until they decide, officials said, Ventura will continue to provide emergency ambulance service.

“If somebody needs an ambulance, they should call 911 and the city of Ventura will provide that service,” Brodfuehrer said. “As of this moment, there will be no changes.”

The Board of Supervisors will meet in regular session today, but Brodfuehrer said she does not expect the issue of ambulance service in Ventura to come up at the meeting.

Monday’s ruling in favor of San Bernardino County affirms the intent of the 1980 EMS Act, which says that a county has control over who provides medical treatment to an injured person before his or her arrival at the hospital.

Justices found that San Bernardino officials erred when they decided that the city could control such services.

Writing for the majority, Justice Stanley Mosk said that in order to provide an emergency medical services system, the county must be able to control or predict the way in which such services are provided.

If a city is allowed to expand its services beyond the 1980 level or withdraw from a system at will, “then this would make it virtually impossible for [the county] to carry out those planning functions,” Mosk wrote.

Ventura officials will recommend that the Board of Supervisors put emergency ambulance services within the city limits out for bid, said Ventura Medical Services manager Michael Harris.

The city’s proposal would mirror what it is providing now: three ambulances for emergency calls as well as three paramedic engine companies. “As we replace retiring people, we plan to upgrade all engine companies to paramedic engines,” Harris said.

The city took over the emergency ambulance service last July; before that, it was provided by MedTrans Ambulance, which is now owned by American Medical Response.

On Monday, AMR officials hailed the ruling. “The way we see it, the contract was ours,” operations manager Brian Ranger said. “It was taken. The court sided with us, saying it was not taken rightfully from us.”

Ranger will meet with Brodfuehrer today to try to determine the company’s next move, but he said American Medical Response would be ready to again provide emergency ambulance service.