San Diego County Emergency Medical Services Office

EMS Mobile App

EMS Dashboards and Data

All-Hazard Health Services Capacity Management Plan - Level 5 (Baseline Surveillance)

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All-Hazard Health Services Capacity Management Plan - System Stress Tools
Below are system stress tools that are used based on the All-Hazard Health Services Capacity Management Plan Level.
- Active System Stress Tools
  - 4:1 Patient to EMS Professional Ratio at EDs
  - Ambulance Strike Team
    - Agencies and hospitals may request ASTs, or other resources, through the MHOAC at their expense
  - EMS Transfer to ED Waiting Area Option
- Deactivated System Stress Tools
  - 9-1-1 Response Mode Alteration
  - Abbreviated Radio Report Option
  - Assess and Refer Option
  - DoD Beneficiary Destination Directive
  - EMS Treatment Considerations
  - Non-Patient Passenger Restrictions
  - EMT Transport Option Following On Scene Paramedic Treatment
  - Patient Masking Recommendation
  - Health Services Capacity Task Force Plan Level Staffing Augmentation
    - County-contracted Ambulance Operational Areas within HSCTF Plan Level staffing augmentation should contact their County Contracting Officer's Representative (COR)

Latest News

Paramedic Documentation Guidance when Administering Controlled Substances

March 6, 2026, 11:00 AM PST

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued the final rule implementing the Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act of 2017 (PPAEMA). This rule codifies the statutory framework established by PPAEMA and sets regulatory standards for registered emergency medical services (EMS) agencies under 21 CFR Parts 1300, 1301, 1304, 1306, and 1307. The final rule takes effect March 9, 2026.

Please take a moment to review the Paramedic Documentation Guidance when Administering Controlled Substances memo to ensure compliance with the newly published DEA regulations.

Update on EMS Delivery System Redesign:
Prearrival Notification Pilot Project and Temporary Policy Adjustments

Ferbruary 27, 2026, 10:00 AM PST

Beginning March 2026, San Diego County EMS will launch digital prearrival notification pilot projects to improve communication between EMS crews and receiving hospitals. These pilots require temporary modification to Base Hospital contact requirements in Policies S‑412 and S‑415 only for authorized EMS agencies transporting to participating hospitals using the designated digital platform. All other situations still require Base Hospital contact.

Participants will receive training and operational guidance. San Diego County EMS will monitor compliance, evaluate outcomes with the EMS Delivery System Redesign Steering Committee and Core Group, and determine whether permanent policy updates are appropriate.

These pilot studies will evaluate opportunities to enhance coordination, improve patient care, and build a more efficient and equitable EMS delivery system.

Please see the EMS Medical Director and EMS Administrator's memo and the San Diego County Engage project page for more information.

Updated EMS Quality Management Plan and Provisional Policy Implementation on January 6, 2026

January 6, 2026, 3:00 PM PST, UPDATED January 21, 2026, 10:00 AM PST

Effective January 6, 2026, the following San Diego County EMS policies will sunset and become inactive:

S-004 EMS System Quality Improvement
S-006 Prehospital Audit Committee
S-409 Reporting of Issues in Patient Care Management

To maintain our quality management program, the provisional CoSD EMS Policies S-012 EMS System Quality Management and S-013 Quality Care Consortium were implemented on January 6, 2026. Policies S-012 and S-013 support the implementation of the final draft of the Quality Management Plan, as released on November 25, 2025. The Plan was developed through collaborative efforts of the EMS Delivery System Redesign Steering Committee and Quality Management Task Force.

The Quality Management Plan establishes a patient-centered, modernized, systemwide framework designed to enhance prehospital care across the EMS delivery system.

System participants, including receiving hospitals, shall report prehospital clinical care concerns by email to EMSNotifications@sdcounty.ca.gov.

Hospitals, agencies, and other system participants: Please see the updated quality assurance case reporting guidelines.

Email reporting will be replaced by direct access to a PHI-protected, centralized database administered by CoSD EMS, once credentials are available and distributed to system participants.

Please see the EMS Medical Director's memo for more information.

System Policies for Implementation on February 1, 2026

December 5, 2025, 12:40 PM PST

As part of our continued work on EMS delivery system improvements, San Diego County EMS is implementing revisions to the following policies, effective February 1, 2026:

These revisions have completed the public comment period, undergone comprehensive stakeholder review, and are now finalized. We encourage all EMS partners and stakeholders to review the updated policies in preparation for their implementation.

No-Notice Ambulance Arrival Data Collection

June 9, 2025, 8:00 AM PDT

San Diego County EMS is gathering information on ambulance arrivals at emergency departments, with a specific focus on those with no-notice or late notification. These situations may reflect short ambulance transports, communication difficulties, or other operational causes. This data will inform the EMS System Redesign process.

ED personnel may complete this 30-second survey via phone or browser. ED staff may also download and print the QR code flyer.

EMS providers encountering Communication Failure should continue to use the P-405A Communication Failure Report.

County EMS appreciates these contributions.

San Diego County EMS Corps Updates

June 3, 2025, 8:00 AM PDT UPDATED February 2, 2026 11:00 PST

San Diego County Fire's EMS Corps trains young people for careers in emergency medical services.

Throughout the 5-month program, students are provided with a stipend while receiving coaching, mentorship, and EMT training provided by experienced professionals.

The program experience includes:

A curriculum tailored to students' skills and abilities
Support for students' success
Help with job placement after graduation

More information and program information are available at the San Diego EMS Corps website.

Cohort 2 began January 5, 2026. Applications for Cohort 3 will open in the early spring.

EMS Mobile App is Now Available

The San Diego County EMS Office is pleased to announce our new EMS Mobile App!

The app is now available to the community: EMS Mobile App

The EMS Mobile App is a browser-based application and works on any device with an internet connection and web browser. The app allows users to easily search through all protocols and policies using keywords. In addition, users can bookmark specific protocols and policies to quickly access them at any time.

The EMS Mobile App also has a references section with important resources for our hospital and prehospital healthcare professionals.

EMS Cardiac Monitor Data Retention Community Consensus Guidance

A community workgroup was formed as part of the San Diego County EMS Office quality assurance/quality improvement (QA/QI) program. The workgroup has developed a consensus guidance document to provide communitywide standards in EMS cardiac monitor data management.

This guidance is intended to enhance the QA/QI process by ensuring standardization in EMS cardiac monitor data integration and retention. The EMS Medical Director has released an EMS Cardiac Monitor Data Retention Community Consensus Guidance memo with more information.

Treatment on the EMS Gurney Community Consensus Guidance

A community workgroup has developed a consensus guidance document to provide focused, patient-centered guidance for hospital treatments that may be performed prior to patient Transfer of Care.

This guidance is intended to bring clarity to interventions that are reasonable to perform during this time interval to facilitate a smoother patient handover process. The EMS Medical Director has released a Treatment on the EMS Gurney Community Consensus Guidance memo with more information.