For the purpose of this article, the following definitions shall
apply, unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different
meaning:
A person who is qualified to care for a patient transported
by a transfer ambulance and who is also qualified to drive a transfer
ambulance.
The chief of police of the city or his or her duly authorized
representative.
Any circumstance that calls for immediate action and in which
the element of time in transporting the sick, wounded or injured for
medical treatment is essential to the health or life of the person.
The circumstances include but are not limited to accidents generally,
traffic accidents, acts of violence resulting in personal injury,
and sudden illness.
Any motor vehicle especially designed, constructed, equipped
and used for transporting the injured or sick in answer to an emergency
call.
Any request for ambulance service that is made by telephone
or other means of communication in circumstances which are or have
been represented to be an emergency and requiring immediate ambulance
service.
The emergency ambulance trip to the place where the emergency
exists or from the place of such emergency to a hospital, medical
clinic or other appropriate destination for the patient.
The fire department of the city.
Any individual, firm or corporation engaged in the business
of transporting the injured, wounded, sick or dead and using the streets
of the city for such purpose.
Any street, alley, avenue, boulevard, drive or highway commonly
used for the purpose of travel within the corporate limits of the
city.
Any motor vehicle constructed, equipped and used for transferring
the injured or sick under circumstances which do not constitute an
emergency and which have not been represented as an emergency.
(Ordinance 2016-28 adopted 4/12/16)
(a)
Any
person violating any of the provisions of this article shall be deemed
guilty of a class C misdemeanor upon conviction and shall be fined,
except as otherwise provided herein, in a sum not to exceed $2,000.00
for each offense, and a separate offense shall be deemed committed
upon each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.
(b)
If
the governing body of the city determines that a violation of this
article creates a threat to the public safety, the city may bring
suit in district court to enjoin the person, firm, partnership, corporation,
or association from engaging in the prohibited activity.
(Ordinance 2016-28 adopted 4/12/16)
(a)
The
fire department shall provide exclusive ambulance service within the
city. No other ambulance provider shall operate an ambulance within
the city unless covered by an exception provided herein.
(b)
The
city shall charge fees for ambulance services in the city provided
in response to a call received by the fire department requesting the
services, and such fees shall be established by the city council and
on file in the office of the city secretary.
(c)
The
person receiving ambulance service and any person contracting for
the service shall be responsible for payment of the fee. In case of
service received by a minor, the parent or guardian of the minor shall
be responsible for payment of the fee.
(Ordinance 2016-28 adopted 4/12/16)
It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully inform the
fire alarm dispatcher, police dispatcher or other fire or police official
that any ambulance or more than one ambulance is needed at a location
or address when such person knows that such statement is false.
(Ordinance 2016-28 adopted 4/12/16)
It shall be unlawful for any person, either as owner, agent
or otherwise, other than a member of the fire department, an agency
of the United States or the state, to furnish, operate, conduct, maintain,
advertise or otherwise be engaged in or profess to be engaged in the
operation of an ambulance service upon the streets, alleys or any
public way or place within the city for the purpose of picking up
patients within the city, except in the following circumstances:
(1)
It
shall not be unlawful for any person to operate a transfer if the
operator is registered with the fire department and in compliance
with all applicable law.
(2)
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 city limits and the ambulance making the emergency run is licensed
and operated in accordance with V.T.C.A., Health and Safety Code 773.041
et seq., provided that the operator first notifies the fire alarm
dispatcher of the route over which the emergency run will be made.
(3)
It
shall not be unlawful for any person to operate a transfer ambulance
in the city on an emergency run when fire department ambulances are
not available and the fire alarm dispatcher requests the operator
to furnish backup emergency ambulance service for the fire department.
(Ordinance 2016-28 adopted 4/12/16)
