Find California ambulances. Ambulances provide information on emergency care services and the transport of individuals to and from the hospital.
Ambulances provide emergency and non-emergency medical transport for patients going to hospitals and other medical and health care facilities. Ambulance Services can be provided by a variety of governmental, private non-profit, or for-profit entities. Ambulance Service providers may only provide transport services, or they may offer transport services in conjunction with Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
Emergency medical transport by Ambulance Services is one component of a network of resources activated during a medical emergency. Emergency response is a coordinated effort, usually between multiple agencies, which typically involves 911 dispatch, on-scene care by first responders, and transport to an appropriate facility. When provided in conjunction with EMS, Ambulance Services are often operated as part of a county or local government Emergency Services Department or Public Safety Department. In addition to transport capability, the Ambulance may be staffed with Emergency Medical Technicians or Paramedics who are qualified to provide Basic Life Support or Advanced Life Support to patients experiencing medical emergencies. Counties and local governments may also contract out EMS and Ambulance Services to private organizations that provide both EMS and transport services. Hybrid arrangements are also common, in which Ambulance Services are contracted to a private organization, while county or local EMS staff provide both on-scene care as well as pre-hospital medical care during transport.
Ambulance Services are also necessary for a variety of non-emergency situations, normally on a scheduled basis. Ambulance Services are often a medical necessity for a patient's transport for planned medical services, such as to a dialysis facility for end-stage renal disease patients. Ambulance Service providers also transport nursing home residents to health care providers, often on a contractual basis with the nursing home. Ambulance Service providers also offer chair car services in vehicles equipped with side wheelchair lifts. Unscheduled non-emergency Ambulance transportation may be provided, in some cases, when transport is needed to diagnose or treat a patient's health condition and the use of any other method of transportation would endanger the patient's health.