Ambulance regulation in California is the responsibility of numerous agencies on the state and local levels. By identifying and analyzing the variety of programs used in one state, this study establishes a framework for evaluation of state and local regulatory programs elsewhere. All data acquired were analyzed using population parameters rather than inferential statistics. Among the regulatory tools used are ordinances, contracts, and franchises.
Regulatory standards vary widely as do their applications.
Many of the enforcement mechanisms available are weak. The wide variation in the types of regulatory programs and the standards that are used suggest that the purpose and impact of regulatory programs should be studied further. The decentralization of the ambulance regulatory program and the lack of integration of ambulance regulations into EMS system planning also raise policy questions. In addition, the role of multicounty EMS agencies, as it relates to regulation of ambulance services, should be reviewed. An Inventory of Ambulance Service Regulatory Programs in California.