Supervisors approve ambulance spare wheel exemption

The exemption for the North County Fire Protection District to carry a spare wheel on district ambulances has been extended.

A 5-0 San Diego County Board of Supervisors vote Tuesday, Oct. 15, provided a two-year extension for NCFPD, 11 other fire protection districts or city fire departments, and four ambulance companies. The exemptions are through Dec. 31, 2021.

The California Code of Regulations requires ambulances to carry spare wheels with tires of appropriate load rating, along with tools for wheel changes, but that state code also includes a section which allows the California Highway Patrol to grant exemptions upon showing good cause and the California Vehicle Code mandates that the CHP grant exemptions in the interest of public health and safety if such exemptions are requested by the county Board of Supervisors.

The exemptions allow ambulances to carry additional medical supplies and equipment, and if an ambulance has a flat tire the closest available ambulance is dispatched to minimize the delay to transport a patient.

Exemptions must be granted every two years. The previous exemptions were granted in November 2017 and were scheduled to expire Dec. 31. The initial two-year exemptions were approved by the board of supervisors in January 2002 and exemptions were also approved in December 2003, December 2005, December 2007, October 2009, December 2011, December 2013 and November 2015.