Santa Clara County EMS Exam
Policy 108 - System Variance Reporting - answer incidents that result in a threat to
public safety, patient, by-stander, or responder harm
What types of incidents are considered Level A variances? - answer any incident that
results in a threat to public safety, patient, by-stander or responder harm
1. gross negligence
2. fraud of certifications
3. repeated negligence
4. incompetence
A. any deviation from an EMS Agency policy or treatment protocol with patient harm
B. medication or procedural errors with patient harm
C. failure or refusal to respond to request for aid, whether from the public or another
system provider
D. equipment failure or malfunction with patient harm
E. any significant EMS-related event that would be reported to another regulatory
agency
What is the maximum time you must report a Level A variance? - answerwithin 24 hours
Who must be notified ASAP of a Level A variance? - answerEMS On-Duty Chief via
County Communications
What type of incidents are considered Level B variances? - answerany incident that
does NOT result in patient harm, but is a deviation from EMS agency policies,
procedures, and protocols
A. potential clinical care variance
B. potential policy variance
C. poor interagency coordination
D. general complaint (public)
E. communications system variance
F. equipment failure or malfunction
What is the maximum time you must report a Level B variance? - answerwithin five (5)
business days
, What type of incidents are considered Level C variances? - answerincidents where the
responders provided outstanding care and went above and beyond the normal
expectations of responders; compliments
A. good patient outcome
B. outstanding customer service
C. positive provider agency/hospital cooperation
D. field supervisor went above and beyond normal expectations
What form would you use to file a variance report? - answerEMS Form #903
(System Performance Variance Report)
Policy 109 - Policy Development and Implementation - answerstandards for creation,
revision, and implementation of SCC Pre-Hospital Care Policy (including plans,
protocols, procedures, etc.)
How will policy implementation be disseminated to you? - answerEMS Program
Manager
What other resources do you have to find new policies and updates? - answer-county
EMS website
-county EMS app
-electronic/social media
-hardcopy
Which policy addressed allocation and implementation of resources? - answerPolicy
#109
Policy 500 - Electronic Patient Care - answerminimum standard criteria for the
completion and submission of electronic patient care record (ePCR)
When an MCI alert occurs with five (5) or more patients, is a PCR required? -
answerNo; the EMS Agency may temporarily suspend the requirement to complete an
ePCR in certain times of mass causality incidents, large scale disasters, or EMS Data
System failure.
What would you use in lieu of an ePCR when an MCI alert occurs with five (5) or more
patients? - answertriage tags
Policy 501 - Hospital Radio Reports - answerstandard hospital radio report format for
prehospital care providers to inform a hospital of pending arrival and when
communicating with the Base Hospital
What alerts (hospital report/ringdown) require use of the county radio? - answer-Major
Trauma Victim (MTV)
Policy 108 - System Variance Reporting - answer incidents that result in a threat to
public safety, patient, by-stander, or responder harm
What types of incidents are considered Level A variances? - answer any incident that
results in a threat to public safety, patient, by-stander or responder harm
1. gross negligence
2. fraud of certifications
3. repeated negligence
4. incompetence
A. any deviation from an EMS Agency policy or treatment protocol with patient harm
B. medication or procedural errors with patient harm
C. failure or refusal to respond to request for aid, whether from the public or another
system provider
D. equipment failure or malfunction with patient harm
E. any significant EMS-related event that would be reported to another regulatory
agency
What is the maximum time you must report a Level A variance? - answerwithin 24 hours
Who must be notified ASAP of a Level A variance? - answerEMS On-Duty Chief via
County Communications
What type of incidents are considered Level B variances? - answerany incident that
does NOT result in patient harm, but is a deviation from EMS agency policies,
procedures, and protocols
A. potential clinical care variance
B. potential policy variance
C. poor interagency coordination
D. general complaint (public)
E. communications system variance
F. equipment failure or malfunction
What is the maximum time you must report a Level B variance? - answerwithin five (5)
business days
, What type of incidents are considered Level C variances? - answerincidents where the
responders provided outstanding care and went above and beyond the normal
expectations of responders; compliments
A. good patient outcome
B. outstanding customer service
C. positive provider agency/hospital cooperation
D. field supervisor went above and beyond normal expectations
What form would you use to file a variance report? - answerEMS Form #903
(System Performance Variance Report)
Policy 109 - Policy Development and Implementation - answerstandards for creation,
revision, and implementation of SCC Pre-Hospital Care Policy (including plans,
protocols, procedures, etc.)
How will policy implementation be disseminated to you? - answerEMS Program
Manager
What other resources do you have to find new policies and updates? - answer-county
EMS website
-county EMS app
-electronic/social media
-hardcopy
Which policy addressed allocation and implementation of resources? - answerPolicy
#109
Policy 500 - Electronic Patient Care - answerminimum standard criteria for the
completion and submission of electronic patient care record (ePCR)
When an MCI alert occurs with five (5) or more patients, is a PCR required? -
answerNo; the EMS Agency may temporarily suspend the requirement to complete an
ePCR in certain times of mass causality incidents, large scale disasters, or EMS Data
System failure.
What would you use in lieu of an ePCR when an MCI alert occurs with five (5) or more
patients? - answertriage tags
Policy 501 - Hospital Radio Reports - answerstandard hospital radio report format for
prehospital care providers to inform a hospital of pending arrival and when
communicating with the Base Hospital
What alerts (hospital report/ringdown) require use of the county radio? - answer-Major
Trauma Victim (MTV)
