DMV Ambulance Driver's License Flashcards
Ambulance
- Rescue vehicle used to respond to emergency calls
2. Vehicle modified to transport people
Can private ambulances respond to emergency calls?
Yes - ONLY if CHP has authorized them to
Code 3
Red warning light and sirens
When is the use of Code 3 justified?
- To save a life
- To prevent undue suffering
- To prevent disability
* Do not use if traffic is so congested etc that increased speed/right of way cannot be obtained
A conviction that has been set aside or dismissed following probation is…
still considered a conviction regardless of the dismissal
When are fire extinguishers inspected and serviced?
Yearly and after each use
When are ambulances inspected by the CHP?
Initially, yearly and randomly
What do destination restrictions prevent?
They prevent ambulances from taking unnecessarily long routes
The prohibition against unqualified drivers and attendants serving as patient escorts excludes:
- Family
- Other persons related to the patient’s well-being
- Minors/children (whenever possible)
When do good samaritan laws NOT protect EMTs?
When acts/omissions are performed in a grossly negligent manner or not in good faith
When can CHP grant exceptions to statutory rules?
Never
The purpose of a DMV driving test is:
to screen those with criminal backgrounds, certain disabilities, or poor driving habits (not to prove driving competence)
Is it legal to drive an ambulance in California without an ambulance driver’s certificate?
Yes, IF you are a firefighter, a police officer, or licensed in another state and driving into California for an emergency.
For how long are temporary certificates valid?
180 days from issuance
How long is an ambulance driver’s certificate valid?
5 years, or until your regular license expires
Conditional validity
Your ambulance driver’s cert is only valid if you also have:
- Valid driver’s license
- Medical examination certificate
- EMT certification (after 1 year)
Renewal applications will be accepted within:
6 months of the expiration of your (ambulance??) license
If your ambulance driver’s license is revoked, you can
submit a request for a hearing within 10 days
The hearing committee (after your license is revoked) is composed of:
3 members representing:
- DMV
- CHP
- EMS authority
What is an ambulance driver’s primary responsibility?
Safe patient transport
Medical conditions that require Code 3 represent what percentage of trips?
5-7%
Negative effects of Code 3
Code 3 can:
- Frighten patient
- Send a stable patient into shock
- Disrupt ongoing medical treatment
- Aggravate certain medical conditions sufficient to cause death or permanent disability to the patient (spinal injuries, serious fractures, and heart attacks)
Medical transports that require Code 3 transport include:
- Uncontrolled hemorrhage
- Uncontrolled respiratory or cardiac impairment
- Complicated impeding childbirth
Ambulance drivers are except from certain traffic laws when:
- Responding to an emergency call
2. Displaying a steadily burning red lamp
If a driver is involved in an accident, but was exempt from certain traffic laws can he still be criminally and civilly liable?
Yes - if he was not acting with due regard for the safety of others
What criteria determines if a driver used due regard?
- Sufficient notice of the ambulance’s approach was given
- Signaling equipment - necessity, use, and audibility/visibility
- Driver deceleration with a driver who did not yield
* Speed of the vehicle should never prevent the driver from maintaining complete control of it
Hazards when driving with Code 3 include:
- Blind intersections
- Driveways
- Motorists with impaired hearing
- Inattentive drivers
When using a siren, ambulance driver’s should:
- Assume drivers do not hear the siren at safe distances, especially at intersections
- Assume drivers have difficulty locating the siren
- Use the siren only when it is most effective
- Avoid passing on the right (cars pull over the right for sirens)
Warning Lamp Use
Used primarily to protect life and property
* Excessive use reduces public respect for their purpose
When should a red warning light be used?
- When responding to an emergency call
- When speed in transporting a patient is essential
- When an extreme hazard exists (meaning any incident that requires traffic to stop, be blocked, or proceed only as directed)
Do revolving, rotating, or flashing red lamps satisfy the requirement for a steadily burning lamp?
No, but they can supplement it
When can flashing red lights be displayed?
When an extreme hazard exists (meaning any incident that requires traffic to stop, be blocked, or proceed only as directed)