As used in this chapter:
"Ambulance"
means any vehicle licensed by the California Highway Patrol
as an ambulance which is designed or intended to be used in providing
emergency transportation of wounded, injured, sick, invalid or incapacitated
human beings, and shall include any such vehicle which is designed
or intended to be used for providing non-emergency transportation
of wounded, injured, sick, invalid or incapacitated human beings from
any location within the city.
"Ambulance"
as used in this chapter shall not be deemed to include a
vehicle specially designed to carry a patient in a wheelchair or supine
position, and may render only CPR and first aid service. The vehicle
shall not be equipped or designed to give either medication or oxygen
in transit, nor be licensed by the California Highway Patrol as an
ambulance.
"Ambulance driver"
means any person who drives an ambulance in which is transported
any person needing medical attention, which person entered or was
placed in such ambulance at any location in the city.
"Ambulance operator"
means the owner or owners of any ambulance business who for
any monetary or other consideration or as an incident to any occupation,
transports in one or more ambulances one or more persons from any
location in the city to any hospital or other place giving first-aid
or medical treatment, regardless of the location of such hospital
or other place.
"Emergency call"
means a request for the dispatch of an ambulance to transport
or provide other assistance for a person who apparently has a sudden
or unforeseen need of medical attention.
"Mobile intensive care paramedic"
means a person specially trained in the provision of emergency
cardiac and noncardiac care appropriately certified by the San Bernardino
County health officer.
(Prior code § 6510.1)
The city council may impose by resolution such regulations on
the type of ambulance and type of ambulance equipment used by ambulance
operators which the city council finds necessary for the preservation
of the health and safety of patients of an ambulance operator and
those using the streets and highways. It is unlawful for an ambulance
operator to cause or permit any ambulance to respond to a call originating
within the city unless the ambulance operator meets the following
minimum standards:
A. Every
ambulance which responds to an emergency call shall be staffed by
a minimum of two employees, at least one of which is a mobile intensive
care paramedic. This subsection shall not apply during major disasters
or other similar emergencies as determined by the city.
B.
1. In
any calendar month the average response time for all requests for
Code 3 emergency service of any single ambulance dispatched to a single
incident shall be less than six minutes. The average shall be computed
by adding the elapsed time between the receipt of a call by the operator
as received from fire dispatch and the appearance of an ambulance
on the scene of the emergency for all Code 3 emergency calls within
a given calendar month, and dividing that sum by the number of emergency
calls received.
2. The
ambulance operator shall submit to the city a monthly report indicating
the ambulance operator's computations for the response time noted
above. Such report shall include the number of responses classified
as emergency service or Code 3, the average response time for the
sum of those responses, and shall itemize any response in which the
Code 3 response time exceeded that permitted above. The itemized information
shall include the date, time and dispatch location for those calls.
C. Each city-licensed ambulance operator which responds to emergency calls in the city shall have permanently stationed in the city, at least one ambulance which shall (1) be capable of rendering emergency advanced life support; (2) be staffed with at least one mobile intensive care paramedic; (3) respond to emergency calls within the time set forth in subsection
B of this section.
D. The
ambulance operator and his or her employees shall comply with all
regulations of the California Highway Patrol, San Bernardino department
of public health, emergency medical services agency, city, and all
other regulatory agencies having jurisdiction over ambulance service
operators.
E. The city manager is authorized to waive any and all requirements of this section in the event of an emergency as defined in Section
2.20.020 of this code, or upon a finding that the public health and safety requires a waiver of these requirements.
(Prior code § 6510.8)
No business license for ambulance service shall be issued by
the city unless the applicant demonstrates its ability to comply with
all standards set forth in this chapter.
(Prior code § 6510.8.1)
An ambulance operator shall not give directly or indirectly,
or cause to be given any rebates, commissions, reserve rebates, or
any reduced rates or cash discounts to any person or persons, or groups
of any nature, except as provided herein.
(Prior code § 6510.9)