Vehicles: emergency vehicles.

Existing law authorizes the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol to issue authorized emergency vehicle permits for specified vehicles, and then only upon a finding in each case that the vehicle is used in responding to emergency calls for fire or law enforcement or for the immediate preservation of life or property or for the apprehension of law violators. This bill would authorize the commissioner to issue an emergency vehicle permit to a vehicle owned and operated by a hospital designated by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services as a disaster resource center hospital at the request of the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency or the state's Office of Emergency Services, if the vehicle is used exclusively to transport mass casualty decontamination apparatus medical supplies, lifesaving equipment, or personnel to the scene of an emergency, as specified. The bill would require the hospital responsible for operating the vehicle to provide emergency vehicle operations training to the designated vehicle operators, to maintain a record of the training in the vehicle, to ensure that the designated vehicle operators maintain an appropriate class of driver's license, and to maintain insurance coverage for the vehicle. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Los Angeles.