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History in Oregon

Ambulance Licensing in Oregon

On July 1, 1983, the Oregon Legislature amended Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) to authorize the Oregon Health Division (now the Public Health Division) 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 Division 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 ORS to authorize each county to establish a county ambulance service area plan and the Oregon Health Division 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 Division 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 Division 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 Division 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.