This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Charles
County Ordinance Regulating Private Ambulances."
For the purposes of this chapter, the words and phrases listed
in this section are defined as here indicated:
AMBULANCE
A vehicle constructed and operated with the primary purpose
of transporting an ill, sick or injured patient. The term includes
any such vehicle which is regularly operated or held out for providing
commercial ambulance service in Charles County or to the residents
of Charles County, and the term does not include any such vehicle
which operates within Charles County or for residents of Charles County
only upon rare, unusual or emergency conditions.
ATTENDANT
A trained and/or qualified individual responsible for the
operation of an ambulance and the care of the patients, whether or
not the "attendant" also serves as a driver.
PERSON
An individual, firm, partnership, association, company, organization
or corporation, but does not include any governmental body.
No ambulance shall be operated and no person shall operate an
ambulance upon the streets, roads or highways of Charles County without
first obtaining a license as hereinafter provided from the Clerk to
the County Commissioners. This license requirement does not apply
to an ambulance operated by an agency of the United States nor does
this license requirement apply to an ambulance operating from a location
outside of the County transporting through the County, but not picking
up or discharging passengers in the County.
An application for a license hereunder shall be accompanied
by a fee of $10 for the first vehicle and $5 for each additional vehicle.
Within 10 days after receipt of an application as provided herein,
the Clerk to the County Commissioners shall cause an investigation
to be made of the applicant and his proposed operation.
The Clerk to the County Commissioners shall issue a license
hereunder when he finds that:
A. The public convenience and necessity require the proposed ambulance
service for which application has been submitted. In determining whether
the public convenience and necessity require the licensing of the
proposed ambulance service, the Clerk to the County Commissioners
shall consider whether the public is adequately served by existing
service; the financial responsibility of the applicant; the number,
kind and type of equipment; the schedule of rates proposed to be charged;
and such other facts as the Clerk to the County Commissioners shall
consider relevant.
B. The ambulances and premises have been certified to the County Commissioners
by the Standards Committee of the Charles County Rescue Squad Association
and the attendants have been certified by the Clerk to the County
Commissioners as provided herein.
C. Insurance, as required by this chapter, is in effect.
D. All the requirements of this chapter and all other governing laws
and ordinances have been met.
[Amended 7-17-1990 by Ord. No. 90-58]
A. Equipment standards. Each ambulance shall, at all times when in use
as such, contain minimum equipment conforming to standards on file
in the office of the County Clerk.
B. Sanitation standards.
(1) The interior of the ambulance and the equipment within the ambulance
shall be sanitary and maintained in good working order at all times.
(2) Equipment shall be of smooth and easily cleanable construction.
(3) Freshly laundered linen or disposable sheets and pillow cases or
their equivalent will be used in transporting patients and shall be
changed after each use. At least one complete change will be carried
on the ambulance at all times.
(4) Adequate and clean storage for linen, disposable sheets and pillow
cases or their equivalent shall be provided on each ambulance.
(5) First-aid supplies will be stored in a clean container, free from
dust, insects and rodents.
(6) Pillows and mattresses shall be kept clean and in good repair. Moistureproof
protective covers shall be provided.
(7) Suitable containers shall be provided for soiled supplies.
(8) The ambulance interior shall be cleaned after each use.
(9) Exterior surfaces of the ambulance shall be kept clean.
(10)
Blankets used in any ambulance shall be cleaned at reasonable
intervals.
(11)
Implements inserted in a patient's nose or mouth shall
be single-service wrapped and properly stored and handled. When multiple-use
items are used, sanitizing of such articles must be accomplished after
each use.
(12)
All storage spaces used for the storage of linen, disposable
sheets and pillow cases or their equivalent and equipment, first-aid
supplies and other supplies, at base stations or in ambulances, shall
be kept clean and free from unnecessary articles. At base stations,
content shall be at least 12 inches above the floor or otherwise arranged
so as to permit thorough cleaning and prevent contamination when floors
are being cleaned.
Licenses issued for any vehicle may be transferred to another
vehicle belonging to the same licensee upon filing with the Clerk
to the County Commissioners an application therefor, duly verified
and showing that the vehicle previously licensed has become obsolete
or has been destroyed and that such vehicle is no longer to be used
for the purpose herein contemplated. The vehicle to which the license
is transferred shall conform to all the requirements of this chapter
as upon original licensing. If satisfied that the transfer is in good
faith and not for the purpose of evasion, the Clerk to the County
Commissioners shall require a surrender of the former certificate
and issue a new one, charging a transfer fee of $5 therefor.
An applicant for a license hereunder shall file with the Clerk
to the County Commissioners an insurance policy, to be approved by
the County Commissioners, providing insurance coverage for each and
every ambulance owned, operated and/or leased by the applicant for
injury to or death of persons in accidents resulting from any cause
for which the owner of said vehicle would be liable on account of
any liability imposed on him by law, regardless of whether the ambulance
was being driven by the owner or his agent or lessee, and as against
damage to the property of another, including personal property, under
like circumstances in sums to be approved by the County Commissioners.
A. Continuance after recovery. Every such policy of insurance shall
continue to the full amount thereof, notwithstanding any recovery
thereon, and the liability of the insurer shall not be affected by
the insolvency or bankruptcy of the insured. The policy shall run
to the County for the benefit of any and all judgment creditors.
B. Coverage period. Every insurance policy required hereunder shall
extend for the period to be covered by the license applied for, and
the insurer shall be obliged to give not less than 10 days' written
notice to the Clerk to the County Commissioners and to the insured
before any cancellation or termination thereof earlier than its expiration
date, and the cancellation or other termination of any such policy
shall automatically revoke and terminate the licenses issued for the
ambulances covered by such policy, unless another insurance policy
complying with the provisions of this section shall be provided and
be in effect at the time of such cancellation or termination.
Any person violating any provisions of this chapter shall be
guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be subject
to a fine not exceeding $100. Each day that a violation continues
shall be a separate offense.