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About the Ambulance Service & Ambulance Licensing Program

			Responsibilities
			History
			Statutes
			Ambulance Service Provider List (65K)
			Map of Providers by County

Responsibilities:

• Establishing standards for the licensing and the operation of ambulance services and ambulances
  
  
• Establishing standards for county ambulance service area plans and to approve each county ambulance service area plan
  
  
• Conducting announced and unannounced inspections of ambulance service facilities, records and ambulances to ensure that the established standards are being met
  
  
• Responding to and investigating complaints
  
  
• Approving medical directors, who provides direction of, and is ultimately responsible for emergency and non-emergency care rendered by certified emergency medical technicians and first responders affiliated with ambulance services and non-transporting emergency medical service agencies.

History

On July 1, 1983, the Oregon Legislature amended Oregon Revised Statutes (ORSs) to authorize the Oregon Health Services to license all ambulances operating in Oregon and establish an annual licensing fee of $45 per ambulance. To establish the standards for licensing and operating basic and advanced life support ambulances, the Health Services obtained the assistance of the State Emergency Medical Service Committee and the Ambulance and EMT 1 Advisory Council. From these developed standards came the Oregon Administrative Rules (OARs) pertaining to the licensing and operation of ambulance services and ambulances.

On July 1, 1985, the Oregon Legislature amended the ORSs to authorize each county to establish a county ambulance service area plan and the Oregon Health Services to establish ambulance service area plan criteria and to approve each county ambulance service area plan. The initial standards were adopted on September 9, 1986. The intent of the statute and administrative rules is to ensure that every citizen of and visitor to a county have access to effective and efficient ambulance service. One of the more important aspects of the statute and administrative rules gives each county government the authority to determine how many ambulance services may operate within their boundaries.

The Oregon Health Services continued to license ambulances until July 1, 1994, at which time the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 95, which amended the ORSs. The amendments provided the authority for the Oregon Health Services to begin licensing ambulance services operating in Oregon and established an annual ambulance service licensing fee of $250 for services having five or more full-time paid employees and a licensing fee of $75 for services having four or fewer full-time paid employees. The licensing fee for ambulances was also amended at that time. An annual ambulance licensing fee of $80 was established for services having five or more full-time paid employees and $45 for services having four or fewer full-time paid employees. To establish the standards for the licensing and operation of an ambulance service, the Health Services obtained the assistance of a task force of interested persons and the State Emergency Medical Service Committee. The standards were adopted on July 1, 1994.

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Ambulance Service Statutes and Administrative Rules

To see the latest versions of ORS 682, the law that pertains to ambulance service licensing, ambulance licensing, and ambulance service areas and ORS 820.300, the law that pertains to the application of traffic laws in operating ambulances and ambulance records, click on the underlined topic of interest.

To see the latest versions of the administrative rules that pertain to ambulance service licensing, ambulance licensing, ambulance service areas, ambulance sirens and medical director requirements and responsibilities, click on the underlined topic of interest.