The Los Angeles Emergency Medical Services Agency (LAEMSA)


LAEMSA is organizationally located in the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, under the Medical Director. LAEMSA contains four sections: Planning and Management; Communications, Disaster Management, and Patient Transport; Prehospital Care and Trauma Hospital Programs; and Paramedic Training,Prehospital Certification and Recertification. A special Disaster Planning and Operations staff person reports directly to the Director of EMS.

According to Division 2.5 of the California Health and Safety Code:

    The local EMS agency shall plan, implement, and evaluate an emergency medical services system, in accordance with the provisions of this part, consisting of an organized pattern of readiness and response services based on public and private agreements and operations procedures (Section 1797.204).

The "Emergency Medical Services Systems and Standards Guidelines" prepared by the Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA), identifies the responsibilities of local EMS agencies.

    1. Establishing policies and procedures... to ensure medical control and accountability of emergency medical response/transport personnel.

    2. Developing and submitting a plan to the State EMS Authority for the emergency medical services system in its area of jurisdiction.

    3. Designating and/or contracting with EMS base hospitals in the its area of jurisdiction.

    4. Specifying the criteria for and designating appropriate specialty care centers.

    5. Developing or, when applicable, adopting guidelines, standards and protocols for the triage, pre-hospital treatment and transfer of emergency patients.

    6. If desired, authorizing and implementing a prehospital advanced life support [ALS] program in its service area.

    7. Approving EMS personnel training programs that are in compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

    8. Establishing, if desired, a schedule of fees to cover the cost of EMS personnel certification (including certification of training programs).

    9. Reviewing, if the agency so chooses, applications for grants and contracts for federal, state, and private funds (EMSA, 1984).

Besides these broad responsibilities, the local EMS agency prepares the response to medical disasters. The agency should:

    1. ... develop multi-causality response plans and procedures which include provisions for on-scene medical management.

    2. ... develop agreements permitting intercounty response of emergency medical transport vehicles and EMS personnel.

    3. ... establish procedures for distributing disaster casualties among hospitals in its service area.

    4. ... in cooperation with the local OES [Office of Emergency Services] and county health officers, should encourage development of an inventory of disaster medical resources.

    5. ... review communication linkages between hospitals in their jurisdiction for their functional capability to provide service in the event of multi-casualty incidents and disasters.

    6. ... be involved in the designation of casualty collection points (CCPs).

    7. ... review the disaster medical training of EMS responders in its service area

    8. ... ensure that all hospitals in its service area have written disaster plans for internal and external disasters and conduct at least two disaster drills per year. These plans should be developed in coordination with local OES and EMS agencies.

    9. ... ensure the availability of training in multi-casualty management for all hospital staffs in its service area (EMSA, 1994).

The county's medical disaster response plan and how LAEMSA fits into it, are discussed below.


Medical Care for the Injured

Continue to Emergency Medical Field Personnel and Transportation

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