Health and Safety Code section 1797.161
(a)
By January 1, 2027, a public safety agency that provides “911” call processing services for emergency medical response shall provide prearrival medical instructions to “911” callers requiring medical assistance, including, at a minimum, all of the following:(1)
Airway and choking medical instructions for infants, children, and adults.(2)
Automatic external defibrillator (AED) and CPR instructions for children and adults.(3)
Childbirth.(4)
Bleeding control and hemorrhage.(5)
Administration of epinephrine by auto-injector for suspected anaphylaxis.(6)
Administration of naloxone for suspected narcotics overdoses.(b)
A public safety agency may satisfy the requirements of subdivision (a) by contracting with another public safety agency that provides prearrival medical instructions.(c)
Prearrival medical instructions developed pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b) shall be approved by the local EMS agency medical director pursuant to subdivisions (c) and (d) of Section 1797.223 and implemented consistent with the medical protocols and procedures adopted by the public safety agency.(d)
This section does not require a public safety agency to update its policies and procedures if the public safety agency already provides prearrival medical instructions through emergency medical dispatch or other means and those instructions have been approved by the local EMS agency medical director.(e)
A public safety agency dispatching peace officers to the scene of an emergency shall not constitute call processing services for emergency medical response for purposes of this section, even though the peace officers may administer first aid and CPR pursuant to Section 1797.183.(f)
This section shall not be construed to alter, modify, abridge, diminish, enlarge, or constrain the authority’s ability to adopt guidelines or regulations for emergency medical dispatch, including dispatcher training, under existing law, including, but not limited to, Section 1797.103 and 1797.107.(g)
This section does not supersede Section 1797.201, 1797.223, 1798.6, or 1798.8, or Section 53110 of the Government Code.
Source:
Section 1797.161, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=1797.161. (updated Jan. 1, 2026; accessed Dec. 8, 2025).
