Without state oversight and discipline who will enforce those mandates? the police?
That is part of the problem, and part of why this bill isn't that much of a good idea. But, and this may vary from state to state, how much oversight does the LA EMS Commission have on a daily basis? Do they only investigate when something makes the news? When a formal complaint is filed with the state? Do they do periodic checks of all EMS agencies to ensure compliance? Personally, I don't have a clue, and I highly doubt that anyone who has responded in this thread does either. I think though, from the way the bill is written, that it will only apply to individual EMS employees; if a service is found to be in violation of a state law that pertains to EMS I think that the Commission would still be able to go through the appropriate process. But, admittedly, I could be wrong; that may be something that lawyers end up making a lot of money off of.
What stops somebody from getting an absentee medical director who only pencil whips his name across the paperwork?
Unfortunately, what stops someone from doing that now? Unless LA has a hyperactive, all-knowing EMS Commission that constantly looks into ALL EMS services, I guarantee that is already happening. It is unfortunately standard practice for some places. And as I said, the bill could be read as only pertaining to individuals, not entire agencies.
If firefighters and public EMS are exempt from state oversight, why not privates? Doctors? Nurses? It sets a very poor precident.
It does. But often it's easier to start a process with only the most "visible" or "noteworthy" (maybe a poor choice of words, I know) types of people in that profession, and later finish it with everyone. Not to mention that, it generally seems the public gives more support to publically funded (be it fire or third service) EMS agencies than they do to privates. And to be clear, I mean vocal support, not real support.
Who intervenes when the agency investigation and discipline in not adequete?
See the above.
Yea, the accountability part. That is the problem.
) is spreading "boogie man stuff, not fact." If anybody bothered to actually READ the bill, that is clear.