Inventory of the California Emergency Medical Services Authority Records
Processed by Colin Hoffman
California State Archives
© 2008
1020 "O" Street
Sacramento, California 95814
Phone: (916) 653-2246
Fax: (916) 653-7363
Email: archivesweb@sos.ca.gov
URL: http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/
California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.
Inventory of the California Emergency Medical Services Authority Records
Collection number: R148
California State ArchivesOffice of the Secretary of State
Sacramento, California
- Processed by:
- Colin Hoffman
- Date Completed:
- July 2008
- Encoded by:
- Jessica Knox
© 2008 California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.
Title: California Emergency Medical Services Authority Records
Dates: 1975-1991
Collection number: R148
Creator:
California Emergency Medical Services Authority
Collection Size:
20.5 cubic feet of textual records
Repository:
California State Archives
Sacramento, California
Abstract: The California Emergency Medical Services Authority, EMSA, is one of 13 departments within the California Health and Human
Services Agency and administers the statewide system of coordinated emergency medical care, injury prevention, and disaster
medical response. The records of the California Emergency Medical Services Authority include 20.5 cubic feet of textual records
from 1975 to 1991, concerning the establishment and development of the EMSA and the development of procedures and guidelines
for the California EMS system.
Physical location: California State Archives
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Collection is open for research.
For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication
is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility
for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives
collections.
[Identification of item], California Emergency Medical Services Authority Records, R148.[Series Number], [box and folder number],
California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.
Acquisition and Custodial History
The California State Archives acquired the California Emergency Medical Services Authority Records according to state law.
The California Emergency Medical Services Authority, EMSA, is one of 13 departments within the California Health and Human
Services Agency and administers the statewide system of coordinated emergency medical care, injury prevention, and disaster
medical response. Prior to 1980, no organization like this one existed and previous efforts were handled by various state
and local agencies. These agencies were divided on many issues but agreed that a unified approach towards emergency and disaster
services was needed. SB 215, (Chapter 1260, Statutes of 1980), created the Emergency Medical Services System and Prehospital
Emergency Care Act of 1980, which authorized the designation of local Emergency Medical Services agencies and systems and
created the Emergency Medical Services Authority. The EMSA was to establish statewide standards for prehospital emergency
medical care personnel and the California Emergency Medical Services system. EMSA promotes disaster medical preparedness
throughout California and, when required, manages the state's medical response to major disasters. It provides statewide
coordination and leadership for planning, development, and implementation of the 32 local EMS systems that provide medical
services for California's 58 counties. The EMSA also establishes the standards, training, and scope of practice for various
levels of prehospital EMS personnel.
The records of the California Emergency Medical Services Authority include 20.5 cubic feet of textual records from 1975 to
1991 and concerning the establishment and development of the EMSA and the development of procedures and guidelines for the
California EMS system. The collection is divided into the following series of records: Subject files, California County
Files, State Files, Federal Files, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Files, Commission on EMS Files, California State Department
Files, Association and Organization Files, and Regulations and Guidelines Files.
The majority of the records are the subject files and addresses a variety of topics including: injury prevention, poison control,
disaster coordination planning and guidelines, testing standards and procedures for prehospital personnel, and analyses of
various emergency equipment. Federal Files contain materials exchanged between federal departments and the EMSA. State and
County Files compromise materials and correspondence from California counties and departments as they relate to the operation
of the EMSA. Local concerns with guidelines, procedures, and requirements are found in this series, as are departmental correspondence
involving issues such as fiscal solvency and legal reciprocity. EMS Files and Commission on EMS Files contain materials highlighting
procedural development, equipment procurement and testing, safety issues, the crafting of training curriculum and standards,
analyses, and the collection of survey data. Association and Organizational Files contain correspondence and information
from local and national entities, noting regulatory and curriculum development, interaction between EMSA and other agencies
of the California government. The Regulations and Guidelines Files contain materials outlining the development of specific
EMSA rules and regulations. The researcher will often find surveys, draft versions of regulations and reports, and correspondence
illustrating the efforts of EMSA to develop universal guidelines, standards, and requirements for the California EMS system.
This collection could be invaluable for examining the creation of and development of California's emergency response system
and the ongoing efforts to craft effective practices, standards and regulations regarding prehospital procedures, personnel,
and disaster response efforts in California.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
California. Emergency Medical Services Authority
Emergency medical services--Law and legislation
Disaster response and recovery
ID R148.1, Box 1-10, Folders 1-18
Series 1 Subject Files 1977-1991
Physical Description: 371 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Scope and Content Note
Subject Files contain materials, such as brochures, articles, newsletters, reports, correspondence, maps, and surveys for
a range of emergency medical topics related to disaster response, equipment analysis and incorporation, procedural research
reports and methodological proposals, communication coordination, drug analyses, disease research, and prevention materials.
Many subjects contain surveys from local EMS agencies as EMSA developed over time. Topics of interest to the researcher include
AIDS training program materials, and prevention information, data and debates concerning defibrillators, Hazmat training and
protocol development, Mobile Intensive Care Nursing requirements and regulations, patient transfer protocols, carbon monoxide
emission in ambulances, poison control evaluations, procedures and call data, and drug trials.
ID R148.2, Box 10-13, Folders 19-5
Series 2 County Files 1975-1985
Physical Description: 95 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by county.
Scope and Content Note
County Files contain correspondence, survey materials, minutes, and annual reports describing efforts to develop and coordinate
local and regional planning with the EMSA. Many records relate to the clarifying of standards or regulations with the EMSA
or are responses to questionnaires/surveys needed for statewide comprehensive policies and standards. The researcher will
find materials relating to the Los Angeles County paramedic program and the Los Angeles Skills Manual from the Paramedic Training
Institute. Of additional note are records for Monterey County, which contain correspondence discussing EMT standards and protocols
for military personnel, the illegal selling of accident victims' names, and interfacility transfer responsibilities.
ID R148.3, Box 13, Folders 6-49
Series 3 State Files 1977-1989
Physical Description: 44 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by state.
Scope and Content Note
State Files contain reports, articles, newsletters, and correspondence from other states and their EMS systems. Correspondence
between the California EMSA and other state EMS agencies often reflect the desire to utilize the best aspects of multiple
programs in the hopes of creating and developing an increasingly efficient EMS system. Annual reports, specific studies,
and EMS newsletters from outside California, such as Alaska's 1981 Guide for Planning the EMS System or Massachusetts's guidelines
for life-support and ambulances, give researchers a glimpse into the development of multiple variants of EMS systems nationwide
and provide insight into the data used in EMSA's efforts to improve California's EMS programs.
ID R148.4, Box 14, Folders 1-17
Series 4 Federal Files 1976-1991
Physical Description: 17 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by agency or department.
Scope and Content Note
Federal Files contain materials involving Federal agencies or organizations. These include correspondence, reports, guidelines,
or other information that applied to the operation of the California EMSA. Of potential use to the researcher are the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration report and recommendations for injury control, the Department of Transportation Traffic
and Safety Training Manual and reports, and the Federal Communications Commission requests and reports on the future telecommunication
requirements for national safety services.
ID R148.5, Box 14-15, Folders 18-25
Series 5 Emergency Medical Services Files 1974-1991
Physical Description: 50 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Scope and Content Note
The EMS Files contain materials that reflect the development and operation of local EMS agencies and coordination with EMSA
itself. The researcher will find reports, analyses, articles, regional EMS agency files, survey responses, guidelines for
pilot plans, and correspondence that discuss local policies and responsibilities towards developing standardized EMSA guidelines
and procedures, responses to surveys, guidelines for pilot plans, and protocols and training materials for prehospital personnel.
The researcher will find the regional EMS administrators council meeting materials, EMS for Children grant development documents
and pilot study statistical data, and EMS Communications Advisory Committee records in this series.
ID R148.6, Box 15-16, Folders 26-24
Series 6 Commission on EMS Files 1980-1991
Physical Description: 31 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Scope and Content Note
The Commission on Emergency Medical Services was the only advisory group to the Emergency Medical Services Authority in California.
The Commission on EMS Files contain correspondence and agenda/meeting packets outlining the objectives of each meeting, Commission
analyses of EMS procedures and standards, reports and studies, and the member composition of some of the commissions. Some
of the topics discussed include refresher courses for emergency personnel and proposed curriculum/guidelines, certification
and retention of EMS personnel, rural EMS studies, dispatch concerns, and coordination of local regulations with EMSA, quality
assurance reports, plan development guides, and reports on local responsibilities and policies.
ID R148.7, Box 16-17, Folders 25-28
Series 7 California State Department Files 1981-1991
Physical Description: 44 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by agency or department.
Scope and Content Note
These files contain correspondence and reports between EMSA and various California state departments and agencies. Communication
between the various entities reflect jurisdictional interaction as it related to matters concerning health/medical concerns,
state budgetary matters, or coordinating procedural policies between the various agencies themselves and the overarching relationship
between EMSA and state government. An example of this is the communication between the State Controller's Office and EMSA
concerning the allocation of block grants for training courses. Of note are the multiple files on the Health and Welfare
Agency and the correspondence with EMSA. Records describing the effects of employment freezing and Governor Deukmejian's
initiative to remove ineffective and unneeded commissions and regulations include reports on overall policy directions of
EMSA, the impact of reduced employment, two-year budget reports, status reports, and accomplishment reports of the agency.
These materials highlight the interaction of EMSA with the Health and Welfare Agency and the interaction of both agencies
with the executive branch of California government. Of additional interest is the California Master Plan to Reduce Drug and
Alcohol Abuse: Year 2 (January 1990). This plan proposed guidelines and procedures to discourage and curtail alcohol and
drug abuse in California in conjunction with national initiatives.
ID R148.8, Box 17-19, Folders 29-28
Series 8 Associations and Organizations Files 1980-1991
Physical Description: 63 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by association or organization.
Scope and Content Note
The Association and Organization Files contain correspondence and reports as well as exchanges between various California
and national entities and EMSA relating to matters under EMSA jurisdiction, especially regulatory concerns. Also included
are correspondence and report materials from the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training discussing testing standards,
as well as initial and refresher courses in first aid and CPR for peace officers. Also, the researcher will find multiple
folders from the National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Directors. This group contains one EMS director
from each state, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. The NASEMSD was created in 1980 to foster communication
between the state directors themselves and the states and the Federal government. It also represents the interests and specific
needs of state programs and directors. These files contain correspondence, surveys, questionnaires, bylaws, minutes, analyses,
and reports which provide insight into the projected goals of EMS systems nationwide and the efforts to create efficient EMS
standards and procedures.
ID R148.9, Box 19-21, Folders 29-12
Series 9 Regulations and Guidelines Files 1978-1991
Physical Description: 67 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Scope and Content Note
The Regulations and Guidelines Files contain materials relating to the creation of regulations for the EMS system. Of note
are records related to the development of air ambulance regulations, including correspondence discussing aircraft designations,
dispatch authority, levels of crew and aircraft certification, and drafts of guidelines and rules. Additionally, the researcher
will find materials related to the development of regulations for the disciplinary certification review process after the
Attorney General stated that the EMSA preliminary guidelines directing the disciplinary process needed to be in regulation
form. Many files contain pre-public comment and renotice drafts, analyses, and correspondence, giving the researcher the
ability to trace the commentary and opinions that contribute to the crafting of EMSA policies, regulations, and standards.