To ensure that ambulances are operating in the best interest of the public health and safety, and that permittee is utilizing properly trained staff, each permittee will be required to have a quality improvement program that:
(A) Utilizes a physician, RN, or paramedic with field experience in quality management to direct and coordinate quality improvement activities (exceptions to this may be made on an individual basis by the Agency);
(B) Reviews patient care provided by their employees;
(C) Meets the requirements of the State Emergency Medical Services Authority's quality improvement program contained in Cal. Code of Regulations, Title 22;
(D) Identifies problems or issues regarding patient care and proposes solutions for corrective action;
(E) Participates in the Agency's collection of data regarding quality of patient care;
(F) Includes disciplinary procedures to be used when appropriate;
(G) Maintains a radio recording of all calls for BLS/ALS services requested, all dispatch instructions given, and all communications between the dispatch center and the unit until the run is completed. Recordings must be stored for a period of at least 90 days;
(H) Ensures that all drivers have completed an emergency vehicle operation course (EVOC) driver training course, or its equivalent, related to responding to calls for emergency medical service that includes, but is not limited to, the following didactic and practical components: legal aspects of the emergency ambulance operation, the practice of defensive driving, accident avoidance, principles of vehicle control, routine vehicle safety checks, breaking and stopping, acceleration, and steering;
(I) Requires the use of the Agency's designated prehospital care report, the unusual occurrence form, and/or other approved reports that include all required data elements for all emergency medical responses including refusal of service and against medical advice (AMA);
(J) Requires staff to attend, at no expense to the county, EMS orientation, and other education and training programs as may be reasonably requested by the agency;
(K) Is consistent with the agency's quality improvement plan;
(L) Permittees, or a designated employee(s), shall actively participate on any committees, at the request of the Agency, to provide for continued system performance; and
(M) Documentation outlining the quality improvement program is to be submitted to the Agency as part of the application process.
(Ord. 923, § 2 (part), 2014; Ord. 977, § 12, 2019)