RESOLUTION NO. _____________

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, COUNTY OF SAN MATEO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA

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RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO AB 2554 (RIDLEY-THOMAS), EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATES AND DISCIPLINE, WITH A RECOMMENDED AMENDMENT THAT THE STATE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AGENCY BE DESIGNATED AS THE AGENCY SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LICENSING AND DISCIPLINE OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS

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RESOLVED, by the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Mateo, State of California, that

WHEREAS, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are skilled medical workers who respond on site to medical emergencies; and

WHEREAS, EMTs are certified by a variety of entities including local emergency medical services agencies (LEMSAs), state public safety agencies and limited local public safety agencies; and

WHEREAS, only LEMSA medical directors are empowered to deny, suspend or revoke EMT certificates or to place on probation the EMT; and

WHEREAS, there is conflict among the EMT certifying agencies about discipline authority; and

WHEREAS, AB 2554 would preclude LEMSAs current disciplinary role and is intended to allow EMT-certifying public safety agencies to be the exclusive agency responsible for discipline of certificate holders; and

WHEREAS, a statewide licensing and discipline model can address these conflicts by consolidating the various certifying and disciplining authorities into one agency (EMSA); and

WHEREAS, contractual arrangements between the state authority and LEMSAs and public safety agencies could enable local entities to continue to provide licensing and training services and need not foreclose on LEMSA or public safety agency participation; and

WHEREAS, a statewide licensing and discipline mode can provide statewide standards, and accountability in addition to creating unified records of EMTs that move from one LEMSA to another.

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY DETERMINED AND ORDERED that the Board of Supervisors adopts a resolution in opposition to AB 2554 (Ridley-Thomas) regarding emergency medical technician certificates and discipline and requests the bill be amended to designate the state Emergency Medical Services Agency be designated as the agency solely responsible for the licensing and discipline of Emergency Medical Technicians.

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