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.
"Emergency service"
means the functions performed in response to emergency call.
"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)
A. 
A license shall be required for each ambulance, ambulance driver, and for the ambulance operator of each such business and shall be issued by the license official upon the payment of the required fees.
B. 
When city personnel are requested by the ambulance operator, or assigned, to the ambulance for transport of a patient to a medical facility, such ambulance operator shall be billed for the city's personnel time. The billing shall be computed from the time city personnel arrive on scene until that unit is reunited with its personnel at the medical facility, and the unit is available for response. The sum of the time computed above shall be multiplied by the cost factor for the fire department and an invoice forwarded to the ambulance operator.
(Prior code § 6510.2)
A. 
An ambulance operator shall charge no more for ambulance services than the maximum rates fixed from time to time by resolution of the city council. In addition, an ambulance operator who provides service in the city shall have at all times on file with the city clerk a complete and inclusive list of the charges which the ambulance operator will charge for services provided within the city. It is unlawful for an ambulance operator to charge more or less than the rates the operator has on file with the city clerk.
B. 
When requesting a rate adjustment the ambulance operator shall submit the request in writing and include the following:
1. 
Existing rates;
2. 
Proposed rates;
3. 
Justification for rate adjustment;
4. 
Financial statements indicating the need for rate adjustment.
(Prior code § 6510.4)
A. 
An ambulance operator shall, at all times during the existence of any license issued hereunder, maintain in full force and effect, furnish to the city, and file with the city clerk, at its own cost and expense, a general comprehensive liability insurance policy, in protection of the city, its officers, boards, commissions, agents and employees, in a company approved by the city manager and in a form satisfactory to the city manager, protecting the city and all persons against liability for loss or damage for personal injury, death and property damage, occasioned by the operations of the ambulance operator under such license. The maximum amount of recovery in such policy shall not be less than the following sums:
1. 
For the injury to any one person or the death of any one person in any one accident, $500,000.00;
2. 
For the injury to two or more persons, or the death of two or more persons, or the injury to one person or more and death of one person or more in any one accident, $1,000,000.00;
3. 
For the injury or destruction of property in any one accident, $250,000.00.
B. 
The policies mentioned in subsection A of this section shall name the city, its officers, boards, commissions, agents and employees, as additional insured and shall contain a provision that a written notice of any cancellation, modification or reduction in coverage of the policy shall be delivered to the city clerk 30 days in advance of the effective date thereof; if such insurance is provided in either case by a policy which also covers grantee or any other entity or person other than those above named, then such policy shall contain the standard cross-liability endorsement.
C. 
No license granted under this chapter shall be effective unless and until each of the foregoing policies of insurance as required in this section has been delivered to the city clerk.
(Prior code § 6510.5)
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)