§ 5-4. Private ambulance service—Conditions to furnishing emergency service.

(a)

It shall be unlawful for any person, either as owner, agent, or otherwise, other than a member of the fire department of the city or an agency of the United States, or a designated licensee, to furnish, operate, conduct, maintain, advertise or otherwise be engaged in or profess to be engaged in the operation of emergency ambulance service, upon the streets, alleys, or any public way or place within the corporate limits of the city, except for the purpose of picking up patients within the corporate limits of the city; except in the following circumstances:

(1)

It shall not be unlawful for a person operating a licensed transfer ambulance in the city, upon responding to a direct call for non-emergency transfer ambulance service, to operate such ambulance under emergency conditions, using emergency equipment, after notifying the city dispatcher and requesting permission to make an emergency run, when a determination is made by the transfer ambulance attendant that an emergency exists requiring the sick or injured person to be transported with all practical speed to a hospital.

(2)

It shall not be unlawful for any person operating a licensed transfer ambulance in the city, who is performing the service of maintaining an ambulance at a particular location for a sporting event, to operate such ambulance under emergency conditions, using emergency equipment, after notifying the city dispatcher and requesting permission to make an emergency run, when a determination is made by the transfer ambulance attendant that an emergency exists requiring the sick or injured person to be transported with all practical speed to a hospital.

(3)

It shall not be unlawful for any person to operate an emergency ambulance to a hospital within the city, if the place of emergency at which the sick or injured person was picked up by such ambulance is outside the corporate limits of the city, and the ambulance making the emergency run is licensed and operated in accordance with Vernon's Ann. Civ. St. art. 4590b, provided that the operator first notifies the city dispatcher of the route over which the emergency run will be made.

(4)

It shall not be unlawful for any person to operate an emergency ambulance when a request for an emergency ambulance is made, outside the corporate limits of the city, directly to an ambulance company, licensed under this chapter, provided that the operator first notifies the city dispatcher of the route over which the emergency run will be made.

(5)

It shall not be unlawful for any person to operate a licensed transfer ambulance in the city on an emergency run when fire department ambulances are not available, and the city dispatcher requests the operator to furnish backup emergency ambulance service for the fire department.

(b)

Any person operating a licensed transfer ambulance in the city who makes an emergency run under the provisions of subparagraphs (1) or (2) above, shall within ten days of each such emergency run, submit to the city director of revenue or his duly authorized representatives, a report on a form provided by him, which shall describe the circumstances requiring the emergency run.

(c)

In the event a patient dies while being transported from one place within the city to another place within or beyond its limits, the licensee of such ambulance shall:

(1)

Immediately notify the police department of such death, by two-way radio or public telephone; and

(2)

Within two hours, file a written report with the chief of police upon such forms as he may provide or prescribe, giving all information therein required and any other relevant information therein required and any other relevant information which the chief of police may require.

(Ord. No. 75-41, § 4, 10-21-75)