Public Records maintained by the EMS Authority will be available for inspection by members of the public pursuant to the following procedures:

1. Public records maintained by the Authority shall be available for inspection during the regular business hours of the Authority.
2. Requests for inspection or copying of public records:
   • Should be specific, focused and not interfere with the ordinary business operations of the Authority. Where a request is not specific and focused, Authority staff will assist the requester to identify the requested information, describe the technology or physical location of the record, and provide suggestions of how to overcome practical barriers to disclosure. The operational functions of the Authority will not be suspended to permit inspection of records during periods in which such records are reasonably required by Authority personnel in the performance of their duties. If the request requires review of numerous records, a mutually agreeable time should be established for the inspection of the records.
   • Should be directed to the office, division, branch, or section of the Authority which created and has ownership responsibility for the desired records. If the requester does not know which component is responsible for the desired records, the request for inspection should be directed to the Public Records Coordinator of the Authority for routing to the appropriate level.
   • Should sufficiently describe records so that identification, location, and retrieval of the records can be achieved by Authority personnel.
   • Are encouraged to be made in writing unless the request involves records which are maintained by the Authority for the purpose of immediate public inspection
   • If the requester does not make the request in writing, the Authority staff member who receives the request should put the request in writing for the requester
   • The Authority may refuse to disclose any records which are exempt for disclosure under the Public Records Act. (See e.g., Gov. Code 6254.)
3. Physical inspection of the records shall be permitted within the Authority’s office and under the conditions determined by the Authority. Upon either the completion of the inspection or the oral request of Authority personnel, the person conducting the inspection shall relinquish physical possession of the records. Persons inspecting Authority records shall not destroy, mutilate, deface, alter, or remove any such records from the department. The Authority reserves the right to have departmental personnel present during the inspection of records in order to prevent the loss or destruction of records.
4. Upon any request for a copy of records, other than the records the Authority has determined to be exempt from disclosure under the Public Records Act, Authority personnel shall provide copies of the records to any person upon payment of a fee (30-cent per page) covering costs of duplication.
5. A copy of these guidelines shall be posted in a conspicuous public place in the office of the Authority, and a copy thereof shall be made available free of charge to any person requesting such copy.

 

Requests can be made to:

The Emergency Medical Services Authority

Address:
11120 International Drive, Suite 200
Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

EMSA Main Phone Number: (916) 322-4336

FAX: (916) 322-1441

externalaffairs@emsa.ca.gov