Non-urgent government operations are closed December 24 to January 1, reopening January 2. See the list of services available during this time.
EHS forms and documents
Operator Licence Application – form EHS11484
Ambulance Operator – Vehicle Listing – form EHS0231
Certified Journeypersons Registration/Renewal and Acknowledgement – form EHS0283
Ambulance Safety Inspection Manual (Volume 5)
Ambulance Safety Inspection form EHS11482 (Volume 5)
Ambulance Collision Reporting Program policy
Ambulance Collision Report Users' Manual
Ambulance Collision Report – form EHS0237
Fillable PDF forms may not open properly on some mobile devices and web browsers. For help opening the forms, contact PDF form technical support.
Operator how-to guide
As an ambulance operator you are required to:
- apply for a new ambulance operator licence OR
- renew your operator licence before it expires
- get your vehicles approved for use by EHS
- ensure you have the right insurance
- register your mechanics
- complete mechanical safety inspections
- fix deficiencies identified by inspections
- notify EHS about out of service vehicles and vehicles no longer in use
- keep your info current with EHS
- report a collision if it meets the Ambulance Collision Reporting Program policy criteria
Ensure your licence application is complete
Talk to an EHS specialist before submitting your application for a new licence or to renew your licence. This helps ensure the application is complete and can be processed in a timely fashion.
An application for a new or renewed licence must include a letter of approval from Alberta Health Services (AHS) Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
Get your vehicles approved by EHS
A new, used or remounted ambulance not previously licensed in Alberta must receive the registrar’s approval prior to being issued a unit identification number and being placed into service. Any chassis or patient compartment more than 12 years old may only be used if an exemption has been granted by the Registrar.
The approval process requires:
- a mechanical safety inspection – modified safety inspection if the odometer reading is less than 5,000 km, full inspection if 5,000 or more km
- the operator is required to give 2 weeks’ notice of delivery to schedule a vehicle inspection by an EHS specialist
- a weight ticket is required to verify compliance with payload allowance
- new units that are an addition to your fleet require an equipment and supplies inspection
- replacement units may not require this inspection
- after the operator has informed EHS which unit is being replaced and will become inactive, the EHS specialist will record this
- all noted deficiencies must be corrected prior to the registrar approving the unit to be placed into service
Insurance requirements
Each operator is required to provide us with proof of vehicle and malpractice insurance by submitting the relevant certificates of insurance, including a passenger carrying endorsement (Standard Endorsement Form 6a or 6c). Pink cards are not accepted as valid proof.
Section 38 of the Ground Ambulance Regulation states:
An ambulance operator shall maintain, in respect of an ambulance used in the provision of emergency health services, automobile insurance that includes an endorsement giving the operator permission to carry passengers for compensation and that insures, to a limit in respect of each collision of not less than $2,000,000 exclusive of interest and costs, against liability resulting from bodily injury to or the death of one or more persons and loss of or damage to property.
Section 39 states:
An ambulance operator shall have malpractice insurance under which (a) the ambulance operator and each ambulance attendant engaged by the ambulance operator are insured against liability for personal injury resulting from negligent acts or omissions in carrying out their duties, (b) the minimum liability for which the ambulance operator and each ambulance attendant is insured is $2,000,000 for each negligent act or omission, and (c) the policy includes an annual aggregate limit of at least $3,000,000.
Register your mechanics
The operator is responsible to ensure the inspecting mechanic (certified journeyperson) has been registered with EHS. This registry is in addition to any inspection certifications that the mechanic may have. Inspections completed by non-registered mechanics will be rejected.
How to register a mechanic:
- at the request of the operator, the inspection agency or the mechanic, EHS will supply registration package(s), consisting of an ambulance safety inspection manual and a mechanic registration form
- the mechanic is required to be familiar with the ambulance inspection standards in the manual, and return a signed registration card
- by signing the card, the mechanic accepts responsibility for inspecting ambulances to the standards set out in the manual
- send the completed mechanic registration forms to EHS
Complete mechanical safety inspections
Section 29 of the Ground Ambulance Regulation states:
An ambulance shall be inspected for roadworthiness at intervals established by the Registrar by a person who is a certified journeyperson in the trade of automotive service technician or by a certified journeyperson in the truck and transport mechanic branch of the trade of heavy equipment technician under the Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Education Act.
The Registrar has established the inspection interval at 6 months, or twice a year.
The operator is responsible to ensure that:
- inspections are done and submitted on time
- the mechanic is qualified to do the inspection and registered with EHS
- completed safety inspection forms are emailed to EHS
If an ambulance is out of service for an extended period, for mechanical or body repairs, resulting in a late safety inspection, the operator must:
- notify us that the unit will be 'Inactive' until further notice
- prior to placing the unit back into service, ensure that the safety inspection is done and sent in to us – the recorded date of the (late) safety inspection will be the date on which the inspection was done
- contact us to have the unit returned to 'Active' status
Out of service vehicles
If a vehicle is involved in an accident or needs extra repairs, the operator must contact EHS stating the unit will not be active until further notice.
This vehicle is not authorized to be used again until the operator contacts us advising the repairs have been completed. If the vehicle is operated by a contracted ambulance provider, EHS may advise AHS that the vehicle is out of service.
Vehicles no longer in use
If a vehicle is no longer going to be in service, the operator is required to contact EHS and ensure all government unit identification numbers and the word 'Ambulance' have been removed from the vehicle.
If the vehicle is being sold to another licensed operator in Alberta, contact an EHS specialist.
Inspections and compliance
Regular base inspections are conducted by EHS in accordance with the Emergency Health Services Act and the Ground Ambulance Regulation. Inspections may cover facilities, vehicles, equipment and supplies, including records, policies and procedures. Spot inspections may be conducted at random.
Deficiencies must be corrected within 10 business days.
Renew your operator licence
Contact EHS at least 2 months before your licence expires, before you submit the licence application form.
Stay current
The operator is responsible for contacting EHS whenever their contact information changes. This includes contact name, service address, phone number and email address.
Legislation
Contact
Connect with the Emergency Health Services branch:
Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Phone: 780-422-9654
Toll free: 310-0000 before the phone number (in Alberta)
Fax: 780-422-0134
Email: [email protected]
Address:
Alberta Health
Emergency Health Services
P.O. Box 1360, Station Main
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2N3
Emergency Health Services branch
- Janelle Gehring, Provincial Director, EHS
- Steve Sutton – Manager, EHS Policy, Standards and Reporting
- Enzo della Rocca – Director, EHS Licensing and Compliance
- Amy Langridge – Manager, EHS Licensing and Compliance
- Tashminder Narwal – EHS Specialist
- Heather L. Cook – EHS Specialist
- Shauna Cohoe, EHS Specialist
- Erin Corbett, EHS Specialist
- Patrick Martin – Senior Policy Analyst
- Christine Bruce – Policy Analyst
- Caroline Smith – Policy Analyst