It shall be unlawful for any person to furnish, operate, advertise or otherwise engage or profess to be engaged in the operation of a private ambulance service upon the streets of Brenham without a franchise as provided by this article, except as otherwise provided in section 4-3 of this chapter.
A private ambulance service which is granted a franchise pursuant to this article shall be:
(1) 
Operated within the city limits of Brenham; and
(2) 
Limited to providing non-emergency transfer services, as provided in this chapter.
(Ordinance O-10-022, sec. 1, adopted 1/6/11)
(a) 
An application for a private ambulance service franchise shall be filed with the city secretary on such form as may be prescribed by the city and the applicant shall furnish the following information with the application:
(1) 
The name and address of (i) applicant, including all owners, partners (if a partnership), all officers (if a corporation), and any other persons with a direct interest in the applicant; and (ii) the names and the addresses of the managing agent or managing personnel of the business if not included in (i);
(2) 
An actual or pro forma financial statement and balance sheet showing the liabilities and equity of the applicant named in subsection (a)(1);
(3) 
Whether any person named in subsection (a)(1) has been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor other than traffic offenses within the past ten (10) years and, if so, when and where and under what circumstances;
(4) 
Whether any person named in subsection (a)(1) holds or has held a permit for operation of an ambulance service from any other governmental agency or department or is engaged or has been engaged anywhere else in the business of providing private ambulance service;
(5) 
That the applicant has been issued a permit by the Texas Department of State Health Services, pursuant to V.T.C.A., Health and Safety Code 773.041, for each ambulance which the applicant proposes to operate;
(6) 
The number of ambulances which the applicant proposes to operate and the make, model, motor number, current state license number and registered owner of each ambulance owned by or in the possession of the applicant;
(7) 
A description of the proposed insignia and color scheme for the ambulances listed in subsection (a)(6) and a description of the distinctive apparel to be worn by the applicant’s drivers;
(8) 
A list of all two-way radios to be used in ambulance service, their call numbers and the vehicle (identified by motor number) to which each radio has been assigned;
(9) 
The Brenham address and business telephone number from which the proposed service will be operated;
(10) 
The names of all attendants and drivers presently employed by the applicant, and, respectively, their Texas Department of State Health Services registry number, level of certification, and Texas State Driver’s License number;
(11) 
A certificate of insurance proving that there is in effect insurance as required by section 4-27 and a statement that the applicant will defend and hold harmless the city, its officers and employees against all claims arising out of the applicant’s operation of the proposed private ambulance service;
(12) 
The trade or assumed name, if any, under which the applicant intends to do business if said name is different from the applicant; and
(13) 
Such further information as the city manager, or his/her designee, may deem necessary.
(b) 
The application shall be accompanied by an annual permit fee of two hundred dollars ($200.00) plus thirty-five dollars ($35.00) for each ambulance requested to be approved. All permit fees are not refundable.
(c) 
The application shall be accompanied by a copy of the applicant’s license to operate from the Texas Department of State Health Services.
(d) 
The application shall be accompanied by the name and addresses of the physician serving as medical director for the applicant. The named physician shall be licensed in the State of Texas and registered in Washington County.
(e) 
The application shall be accompanied by copies of other relevant documents, as required by the city, to complete the application process.
(Ordinance O-10-022, sec. 1, adopted 1/6/11)
(a) 
Each ambulance service franchise holder shall notify the city secretary, in writing, of any change of address or change in ownership or management of the franchisee not less than ten (10) days prior to the change.
(b) 
The ambulance service franchise holder must provide and staff, at its expense, a communications center, which must include twenty-four-hour day telephone access for service requests and two-way radio and mobile telephone communication with all ambulances utilized by the ambulance service franchise holder in the city.
(c) 
The ambulance service franchise holder shall respond to requests for non-emergency transfer service within thirty (30) minutes at any time of the day, any day of the week, and within thirty (30) minutes of a scheduled non-emergency transfer pick-up time.
(Ordinance O-10-022, sec. 1, adopted 1/6/11)
(a) 
The city secretary shall forward copies of each application for an ambulance service franchise to the city manager for review and recommendation to the city council. In addition, the fire chief shall also review each application and make recommendations to the city council. Within ten (10) days of receipt of an application for an ambulance service franchise, the city secretary shall also provide written notification to all existing franchisees and Washington County EMS of said application.
(b) 
The city council shall hold a public hearing on an application for an ambulance service franchise under this article at the time and place specified in the notice published in a newspaper of general circulation fifteen (15) days prior to the hearing and no such franchise shall be granted until an ordinance granting the same has been read at two (2) regular meetings of the city council.
(c) 
An applicant shall not be granted a franchise unless the city council finds and determines that the public convenience will be served by the issuance thereof. In all hearings, the burden of proof shall be upon the applicant to establish by clear, cogent and convincing evidence that the public convenience will be served by the granting of a private ambulance service franchise. In determining public convenience, the city council shall consider all of the following:
(1) 
If the applicant has previously participated, or is currently participating, in an ambulance or transfer service and whether such service is being performed in a satisfactory manner.
(2) 
Whether there is a need in the city for the applicant’s services, and the number of providers currently franchised in the city and whether granting the franchise will adversely affect existing service so as to lower the standards of existing services and/or cause public inconvenience.
(3) 
Whether the applicant is qualified to render good service and has, or will have, sufficient equipment and personnel necessary for the applicant’s ambulance service.
(Ordinance O-10-022, sec. 1, adopted 1/6/11)
No ambulance service franchise will be granted unless:
(1) 
The city council determines that the contents of the application as required by section 4-21 are complete, true and correct; and
(2) 
The city council determines that the proposed operation of the ambulance service will be in compliance with all provisions of this chapter, and all applicable city ordinances, state and federal statutes and regulations.
(Ordinance O-10-022, sec. 1, adopted 1/6/11)
The length of the franchise will be for two (2) years. However, the franchise holder will be subject to review, inspection, and evaluation by the city staff on a quarterly basis with results being presented to the city manager.
(Ordinance O-10-022, sec. 1, adopted 1/6/11)
(a) 
A holder of an ambulance service franchise shall submit a completed renewal application, provided by the city secretary, and the franchise renewal application fee of two hundred dollars ($200.00) not fewer than sixty (60) days before the then current franchise expires.
(b) 
The city manager may make changes in the franchise application as he/she deems necessary.
(c) 
If the franchise expires at no fault of the holder before a ruling on the approval or denial of a timely-submitted renewal application, the holder may continue to operate the ambulance service pending a final decision by city council. The holder shall cease operation immediately upon denial of the renewal by the city council.
(Ordinance O-10-022, sec. 1, adopted 1/6/11)
No private ambulance service shall be operated in the city unless the applicant or the holder of the permit is at all times insured by automobile liability insurance, covering the operation of each ambulance, which does not contain a passenger liability exclusion, in the minimum amount of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00) per person for bodily injury or death, one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) for bodily injury or death per occurrence and one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) for property damage, and by liability insurance, covering the care and handling of the patients by attendants, emergency medical technicians and paramedics in the minimum amounts of one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) per person and one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) per occurrence.
The city shall be named as a certificate holder and as an additional insured in all insurance policies required by this section and the permit holder shall maintain on file with the city secretary a certificate of insurance or other proof acceptable to the city attorney that the required policies are in effect. The insurance policy must be issued by a solvent insurance company licensed to do business in the State of Texas.
Each insurance policy shall require written notice sent via certified mail, return receipt requested from the insured or insurer to the city secretary at least thirty (30) days prior to termination by the insured or insurer.
(Ordinance O-10-022, sec. 1, adopted 1/6/11)
If the ambulance service franchise holder violates any provision of this chapter or fails to comply with or maintain compliance with any requirement of this chapter or the franchise, the city manager may order the suspension or revocation of the franchise.
An ambulance service franchise holder shall also be subject to revocation if it is found that the holder of said franchise or any company, service or corporation that the holder is affiliated or in partnership with is duplicating emergency medical services, unless requested to do so by the City of Brenham Communications Center. Furthermore, if an ambulance franchise holder receives an emergency call from any source to respond in the City of Brenham, the franchisee shall immediately notify the City of Brenham Communications Center and shall not respond unless requested to do so by the City of Brenham dispatcher. Duplication of emergency medical services is defined as responding to the same call for service as a Washington County EMS unit without having been requested to do so by a City of Brenham dispatcher.
The city secretary shall notify the franchise holder of the suspension or revocation in writing within ten (10) days of the city manager’s determination. Such notice shall disclose the deficiency and/or violation and outline the city manager’s actions.
(Ordinance O-10-022, sec. 1, adopted 1/6/11)
(a) 
A franchise holder may appeal to the city council the following decisions of the city manager if the holder requests an appeal hearing in writing and delivers it to the city secretary not more than ten (10) business days after receiving notice of the city manager’s action.
(b) 
The city council shall act as the appeals hearing body in an appeal hearing under this section. The city council shall give the appealing party an opportunity to present evidence and make argument in appellant’s behalf. The formal rules of evidence do not apply to an appeal hearing under this section, and the city council shall make its ruling on the basis of a preponderance of the evidence presented at the hearing.
(c) 
The city council may affirm, modify, or reverse all or part of the action of the city manager being appealed. The city council may, in its sole discretion, reinstate the franchise if the franchise holder has corrected the violation or deficiency causing the suspension or revocation. The decision of the city council is final.
(Ordinance O-10-022, sec. 1, adopted 1/6/11)
(a) 
The ambulance service franchise holder shall, during the life of said franchise, pay to the city, at the office of the city secretary in lawful money of the United States, an amount equal to two (2) percent of its gross receipts measured by ambulance service fees collected and other income derived from the operation of the ambulance service within the City of Brenham, said remittance shall be made monthly on or before the tenth day of each calendar month.
(b) 
A grantee herein shall be required to install and adequately keep the system of bookkeeping regarding the ambulance services provided pursuant to the franchise, which books shall be subject to inspections of the governing body of the city and the city manager and such persons as the city may designate, or either of them, so as to enable the City of Brenham to check the correctness of the accounts kept and to compute fairly and accurately the amount of gross receipts that may be due to the city.
(Ordinance O-10-022, sec. 1, adopted 1/6/11)
The books and records of the ambulance service franchise holder shall be open at any reasonable time for inspection by the mayor, city council, city manager, or any official designated by the city.
(Ordinance O-10-022, sec. 1, adopted 1/6/11)
No assignment, sale or subletting of any part of a franchise shall ever be made by the franchisee without first receiving written approval of the city council of the City of Brenham.
(Ordinance O-10-022, sec. 1, adopted 1/6/11)
Attendants and drivers who provide services within the city limits of Brenham pursuant to an ambulance services franchise shall:
(1) 
Be at least eighteen (18) years of age;
(2) 
Be a citizen of or authorized to work in the United States;
(3) 
Not have been convicted of a felony or any offense involving moral turpitude within the past ten (10) years and not have had any license for the operation of motor vehicles suspended or revoked with ten (10) years;
(4) 
Be a holder of a valid Texas driver’s license, entitling driver to operate an ambulance;
(5) 
Present a certificate executed by a licensed practicing physician showing that the person is free of contagious or communicable diseases, color blindness, or any other condition or disability which would impair his/her ability to provide emergency medical services to the public;
(6) 
Be currently certified by the Texas Department of State Health Services at the level required by this article.
(Ordinance O-10-022, sec. 1, adopted 1/6/11)
(a) 
Vehicles.
Each vehicle utilized in an non-emergency transfer must be permitted by the Texas Department of State Health Services as a mobile intensive care unit, and may be operated only when said vehicle meets all conditions required by Chapter 773 of the Texas Health and Safety Code and other applicable laws and regulations.
(b) 
Equipment.
A vehicle may not be operated as a mobile intensive care unit unless it is furnished with all of the equipment (and qualified personnel) required by the Texas Department of State Health Services for a mobile intensive care unit and is permitted or licensed as such. Such equipment must be clean, in good working order, and available in sufficient quality to provide safe transport and care of sick and injured persons.
(Ordinance O-10-022, sec. 1, adopted 1/6/11)
Neither the ambulance service franchise holder nor any employee or agent thereof shall refuse to transport a patient requesting ambulance service, except for good cause. In determining “good cause” for purposes of this section, the ambulance service franchise holder may consider whether the patient is insane, mentally ill, drunk, disorderly or unruly; whether the patient has previously willfully refused to pay for services; whether the ambulance service franchise holder can safely transport the patient; or whether it is the best available ambulance service with the capabilities to perform such a transport; or similar matters.
(Ordinance O-10-022, sec. 1, adopted 1/6/11)
If, during a transport, the patient’s condition worsens or he suffers an acute condition, attendants of the ambulance vehicle shall immediately contact the Brenham Communications Center and advise the dispatcher of such and then proceed on an emergency basis to the emergency care facility at the hospital of patient’s choice or nearest appropriate medical facility. A patient who has a worsened or acute condition includes, but is not limited to, any or all of the following:
(1) 
A patient who has difficulty breathing;
(2) 
A patient who has stopped breathing;
(3) 
A patient in cardiac arrest;
(4) 
A patient who has seizures;
(5) 
A patient who has unstable vital signs; or
(6) 
A patient with a change in vital signs (e.g., drop or increase in blood pressure)
(Ordinance O-10-022, sec. 1, adopted 1/6/11)
The ambulance service franchise holder shall have the privilege of receiving non-emergency transfer overflow calls for ambulance service from the Washington County EMS Department. The ambulance franchise service holder shall respond to requests for service from the Washington County EMS as quickly and safely as possible.
(Ordinance O-10-022, sec. 1, adopted 1/6/11)
The city council hereby expressly reserves the right, power, and authority to fully regulate and establish, by resolution, the rates and charges for the services of an ambulance service franchise holder to its customers, fully reserving to the city council all rights, powers, privileges, and immunities, subject to the duties, limitations and responsibilities which the constitution, the laws of the state, and this chapter confer upon the city.
(Ordinance O-10-022, sec. 1, adopted 1/6/11)