[Adopted 2-8-1989 (Ch. 15, Art. II, of the 1990 Code)]
[Amended 11-8-1989; 11-14-2013]
It shall be unlawful for any emergency medical service organization
to respond to nonemergency calls. Emergency medical service agencies
from outside the territorial boundaries of Carroll County may transport
non-Carroll-County residents into or through Carroll County and will
not be in violation of this article. Rescue squads may respond in
situations of emergency in the territorial boundaries of Carroll County,
Virginia. An "emergency" shall be defined as a sudden or unexpected
occurrence causing great harm which is potentially life threatening
or requiring immediate medical attention (i.e., reported heart attack,
patient unresponsiveness, accident with injury, drowning or other
undefined calls).
When an emergency medical service organization (rescue squad)
responds to an emergency and transportation is warranted, then the
patient shall be taken to the nearest appropriate hospital (i.e.,
Pulaski, Radford, Stuart, Mt. Airy, Galax, Wytheville), and the emergency
medical service organization shall return to the station. Transport
from hospital to hospital, from a patient's home to a doctor's
appointment or from a medical care facility to a patient's home
is prohibited, unless granted a franchise for that purpose.
It shall be the duty and responsibility of any emergency medical
service company granted a franchise to provide nonemergency transportation.
Emergency transportation shall be provided only when requested by
the Carroll County Board of Supervisors, Sheriff's Department,
rescue squad or a patient.
It is understood that any controversy arising between the rescue
squads providing emergency transportation and the paid service providing
nonemergency transportation as to the manner or method of operation
shall be submitted to the arbitration board, comprised of one person
appointed by the Board of Supervisors, one person appointed by the
rescue squad Board of Directors and one person appointed by the paid
service. It is understood that the majority decision of such arbitration
board shall be final.
[Amended 11-14-2013]
Violation of this article by emergency medical service organization
individuals, and any other subsequent amendments that may be adopted
from time to time by Carroll County, shall be punishable as a Class
1 misdemeanor, as provided for in the Code of Virginia, § 15.2-1429.
Each occurrence shall constitute a separate offense, and such violation
shall additionally be subject to injunctive relief in a state court
of competent jurisdiction.
