California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA)

California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) More info: emsa.ca.gov/about_emsa The EMS Authority is one of thirteen departments within California's Health and Human Services Agency.

The EMS Authority is charged with providing leadership in developing and implementing EMS systems throughout California and setting standards for the training and scope of practice of various levels of EMS personnel. Prior to 1980, California did not have a central state agency responsible for ensuring the development and coordination of EMS services and programs statewide. Although the many stake

holders in EMS, including local administrators, fire agencies, ambulance companies, hospitals, physicians, nurses, and other health care providers did not agree on many issues, there was a consensus that a more unified approach to emergency and disaster medical services was needed. Thus, as the result of several years of effort by the EMS constituents to establish a state lead agency and centralized resource to over see emergency and disaster medical services, the Emergency Medical Services System and Prehospital Emergency Care Personnel Act (SB 125) was passed, creating the Emergency Medical Services Authority and adding Division 2.5 to the Health and Safety Code (Sections 1797-1799). The EMS Authority also has responsibility for promoting disaster medical preparedness throughout the state, and, when required, managing the state's medical response to major disasters. Emergency and disaster medical services in California are rooted in the skills and commitment of the first responders, EMTs, nurses, physicians, and administrators who deliver care to the public and operate the system. In order for high quality services to be delivered with high efficiency, all aspects of EMS systems must work together, mutually reinforcing and supporting each other for the benefit of the patient. The California EMS Authority, through standard setting, consensus building, and leadership, plays a central role in improving the quality of emergency medical services available for all Californians. In California, day-to-day EMS system management is the responsibility of the local and regional EMS agencies. It is principally through these agencies that the EMS Authority works to promote quality EMS services statewide. EMS Authority staff also work closely with many local, state and federal agencies and private enterprises with emergency and/or disaster medical services roles and responsibilities.

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Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) Facebook Comment Policy

Thank you for being a fan of the Emergency Medical Services Authority’s (EMSA) page. EMSA participates in Facebook in order to provide stakeholders and members of the public with the up-to-date, accurate and timely information, tools and resources relating to EMS in the State of California. If you have any questions, concerns or need additional information, please contact EMSA via phone or email. EMSA Main Phone Number is (916) 322-4336. Disclaimer:

Posted comments and images do not necessarily represent the views of EMSA. External, non-EMSA links on this site do not constitute official endorsement on behalf of EMSA. While we encourage fans to share thoughts and opinions on the EMSA page, we expect that this will be done in a respectful manner. EMSA does not agree with or endorse every comment that individuals post on our page. Our goal is to share ideas and information with as many individuals as possible and our policy is to accept the majority of comments made to our page. Therefore, a comment, video or photo will be deleted if it contains:

- Hate speech
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- Nudity in profile pictures
- Defamation to a person or people
- Name calling and/or personal attacks
- Comments whose main purpose is to sell a product or service
- Comments that infringe on copyrights
- Spam comments, such as the same comment posted repeatedly on a profile
- Links to non-EMS related sites, and
- Other comments that the EMSA Social Media team deems inappropriate such as comments that are off topic. All links posted as comments on EMSA’s page will be reviewed and may be deleted. Repeated violations of the EMSA Facebook comment policy may cause the author to be blocked from EMSA’s page. Thank you for your understanding of EMSA’s Facebook Comment Policy. You may call EMSA’s Social Media Team if you have questions regarding the policy at (916) 322-4336.

CAL-MAT is on the ground supporting the Timber Fire in Monterey County.Since Friday, the team has been providing medical...
08/18/2026

CAL-MAT is on the ground supporting the Timber Fire in Monterey County.

Since Friday, the team has been providing medical care at the CAL FIRE base camp at CSU Monterey Bay in Marina. So far, they’ve treated 50 patients, and all 50 have been able to return to duty.

This is the kind of impact CAL-MAT can have on wildfire response. The team helps keep firefighters healthy and focused on the mission.

Genuine thanks to the team serving on this deployment.

08/18/2026

A helpful reminder from our partners at California Poison Control System:

If you have a poison-related question or emergency, call the Poison Hotline at 1-800-222-1222. It’s free, confidential, and available 24/7.

So far this fire season, California Medical Assistance Teams (CAL-MAT) have deployed to the Loomis, Rock, 3-6, and Gann ...
08/14/2026

So far this fire season, California Medical Assistance Teams (CAL-MAT) have deployed to the Loomis, Rock, 3-6, and Gann fires to provide on-site medical care at CAL FIRE base camps.

These teams, made up of a physician, registered nurses, EMTs, and an administrative officer, support firefighters and other personnel assigned to the incident. With a full medical cache, pharmacy support, and advanced care capabilities, they treat a wide range of needs right at the base camp.

The goal is to provide high-quality medical care to everyone assigned to the incident and, whenever possible, minimize the impact on the local 911 and medical systems. The care CAL-MAT provides on site allows a high percentage of firefighters to be treated and quickly return to duty.

2026 Deployment Stats so far:

• 4 base camp deployments
• 93 individual patient encounters
• 153 patients treated
• 699 total medical contacts
• 69 firefighters treated and returned to duty

Grateful for the CAL-MAT teams doing this work behind the scenes.

A few great shots from EMSA’s Advanced Ambulance Strike Team Leader training in San Francisco yesterday.Attendees worked...
08/12/2026

A few great shots from EMSA’s Advanced Ambulance Strike Team Leader training in San Francisco yesterday.

Attendees worked through scenario-based exercises where they got to practice decision-making, leadership, and coordination that real high-stakes deployments require.

Huge thanks to everyone who participated and to our partners at San Francisco Fire Department for hosting.

Interested in the next course? The updated ASTL/Medical Task Force training is scheduled for September 22 in Anaheim. Register here: https://wkf.ms/41ZKcmj

Photo credit: SFFD PIO

An important distinction:An evacuation warning means prepare.An evacuation order means leave now.Thanks to Listos Califo...
08/10/2026

An important distinction:

An evacuation warning means prepare.
An evacuation order means leave now.

Thanks to Listos California California for the clear reminder.

Know the difference between an evacuation warning and an evacuation order!

An evacuation warning means there’s a potential threat. This is the time to gather essentials, review your emergency plans, and have your go-bag

An evacuation order means there’s immediate danger. Don’t wait.

Evacuate immediately.

Follow for important updates and sign up for local emergency alerts at ready.ca.gov

We're grateful to our CAL-MAT team for the medical support they’re providing at the Gann Fire. Their work helps keep fir...
08/08/2026

We're grateful to our CAL-MAT team for the medical support they’re providing at the Gann Fire. Their work helps keep firefighters healthy and on the line while taking pressure off local systems.

Huge thanks to California Health & Human Services Agency and Deputy Secretary Morales for visiting and highlighting the team. Your presence was an inspiration.

Thank you to CAL FIRE for leading the way on wildfire response efforts.

EMS for Children (EMSC) encourages families to use the back-to-school season as a reminder to:• Update emergency contact...
08/07/2026

EMS for Children (EMSC) encourages families to use the back-to-school season as a reminder to:

• Update emergency contacts
• Share any medical or special needs with your child’s school
• Ask about the school’s emergency plan

A little preparation helps make sure kids get the support they need quickly if an emergency happens.

An intense heat wave is likely this weekend across much of California. Knowing how to find cooling centers in your commu...
07/31/2026

An intense heat wave is likely this weekend across much of California. Knowing how to find cooling centers in your community can be a simple but impactful part of emergency planning.

Thanks to Listos California for the helpful graphic and resources.

Find cooling locations near you: https://wp.me/pgM8my-12tm

High temperatures are impacting Californians across the state, with some areas experiencing significantly higher-than-average conditions.

California encourages residents to visit their county’s community services pages for resources, including heat safety information and places to stay cool.

To find cooling locations near you, visit https://wp.me/pgM8my-12tm

Ambulance Strike Team Leaders: Here's an advanced training opportunity.Looking to strengthen your leadership skills in c...
07/29/2026

Ambulance Strike Team Leaders: Here's an advanced training opportunity.

Looking to strengthen your leadership skills in complex incident environments?

EMSA is hosting an Advanced ASTL course on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 (8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) at San Francisco Fire Department Station 49.

This one-day, scenario-based training focuses on operational decision-making, coordination, documentation, and leadership. These are the skills needed when deployments actually unfold.

Eligibility requirements apply (including completion of ASTL after October 2023). Full details are on the flyer.

Registration is still open, and seats remain available. Feel free to share this with qualified personnel who may be interested.

Register here: https://wkf.ms/462SvA6

Questions? Email [email protected]

07/28/2026

Nominations for the 2026 EMS Awards are now open.

This year’s ceremony was an impactful celebration of California’s EMS community. It was an evening spent recognizing the exceptional work of our colleagues.

Now it’s time to start thinking about next year’s honorees.

If you know someone in EMS who has done outstanding work during the 2026 calendar year, we’d love your help recognizing them.

Submit a nomination at emsa.ca.gov/awards by clicking “Nominate an EMS Hero.” Please include a brief but thoughtful narrative and any supporting materials such as photos.

Nominations are open through January 15, 2027.

We’ll honor the winners at our annual awards ceremony in summer 2027. Don’t miss the chance to celebrate California’s EMS heroes!

Address

11120 International Drive, Suite 200
Rancho Cordova, CA
95670

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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