[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Shrewsbury as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Mutual aid — See Ch. 35.
[Adopted 6-15-2020 by Ord. No. 1069[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Art. I, Transportation Requirements, adopted 4-4-2016 by Ord. No. 1025.
The purpose of this article is to preserve and enhance the availability of volunteer first aid squad services for emergency medical situations in the Borough by regulating the use of volunteer first aid squad services in certain nonemergency situations.
This article shall apply to each and every nursing or assisted living home or similar facility in the Borough which is a licensed health care facility, hospital, institution, care center, convalescent home, old-age home, nursing home, assisted living facility, rehabilitation center, mental health institution, or any other establishment or institution for the care, treatment, lodging, or nursing of persons who are mentally ill, mentally deficient, acutely ill, chronically ill, disabled, convalescent, infirm or in any way afflicted, or who resided therein for any purpose whatsoever.
All such facilities described herein within the Borough shall be required to own or rent to have promptly and readily available appropriately staffed private ambulance services for the treatment and transport of patients in need of emergency and nonemergency care. Such ambulance services must be available each and every day for 24 hours per day.
A. 
In order to satisfy the requirements of this article, each such facility shall file proof of availability of private ambulance services with the Borough Clerk within 60 days of the final passage of this article. Such filings must also occur on or before January 5 of each year thereafter. Proof shall consist of a contract with no less than two private ambulance service providers under which such providers are obligated to respond promptly to the facility. If a facility elects to own and operate its own ambulances, such proof shall consist of documentation of the make, model, year, color, serial number, license plate number, location, and staffing of such ambulance. A facility with its own ambulance service must provide proof of at least one fully staffed ambulance per 100 patients on every given day. Additionally, a facility with its own ambulance service must also provide the proof outlined herein for at least one subsequent or backup ambulance service.
B. 
All such facilities must provide a certification by the facility's resident director, manager, or authorized corporate officer affirming that adequate private ambulance services are available and that all agents and employees of such facility have been apprised of and trained in the use of such private ambulance services; this certification is to be filed with the Clerk along with the proofs required herein in the timeframe herein.
C. 
The failure of a facility to comply with the requirements of this section shall constitute an ordinance violation by the facility and its resident director, manager, or authorized corporate officer punishable by a fine not to exceed $500 for the first time and an additional $750 for every subsequent violation.
A. 
In the event that a facility takes actions resulting in the dispatch of a Borough's volunteer first aid squad, and the responding volunteer first aid squad determines that the basis for the dispatch did not constitute circumstances requiring use of advanced life support or paramedic unit, the volunteer first aid squad, through its responding members, shall certify, via a notarized affidavit, accordingly to the Borough, and the facility shall be subject to an initial fee of $500. Upon the Borough's receipt of such certification, the Borough shall provide a copy of the certification to the facility via certified mail. The facility shall have 10 days from the date the Borough mailed the certification to provide proof to contradict the first aid squad certification. If the facility submits such proof, the first aid committee shall review the first aid squad's and the facility's papers and make a determination within 30 days.
B. 
The initial fee imposed under this section shall be $500; any subsequent fee shall increase by $10 per violation. Violations will reset to $500 as of January 1 every year.