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Friday, December 27, 2024

Notice of Public Hearing: Amendment to County Code of Ordinances Chapter 4 Ambulance Services

Hortonambulance

Guilford County issued the following announcement on Sept. 3.

GUILFORD COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Old Guilford County Courthouse 301 W. Market Street, Greensboro, NC

September 16, 2021

5:30 PM

Pursuant to N.C.G.S 153A-250, notice is hereby given that the Guilford County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing at 5:30 PM on September 16, 2021 in the Commissioners Meeting Room located on the second floor of the Old County Courthouse, 301 W. Market Street, Greensboro NC 27401.

The purpose of the hearing will be to receive public input on proposed changes to Guilford County Code of Ordinances Chapter 4 (Ambulance Services). The Board of Commissioners will consider whether amending Chapter 4 to add an additional exception to the ambulance franchise requirement, to exempt ambulances rendering services during a major catastrophe or emergency under certain circumstances, is necessary to assure the provision of adequate and continuing ambulance service and to preserve, protect, and promote the public health, safety, and welfare.

The proposed amendments are to Guilford County Code Sections 4-2 and 4-23 as follows:

Sec. 4-2. - Franchise required.

After midnight, October 7, 1968, except as provided otherwise in this chapter, it shall be unlawful for any person to provide ambulance services or to operate ambulances within the county without having been granted a franchise to do so. The term "ambulance" as used in this section is hereby defined as including all vehicles covered by the provisions of G.S. 131E-155, but shall not include the vehicles exempted under

G.S. 131E-160 and shall not include specialty patient transport vehicles operated by an acute care hospital located in Guilford County and specifically designed, equipped and staffed to transfer critically ill patients from one acute care hospital to another. This section shall not apply to ambulances based outside of the county, except that any such ambulance may not receive a patient within this county for transportation to a location within this county without a franchise to operate within this county, except as provided in this chapter as applies to ambulances responding to calls of an emergency nature.

Sec. 4-23. - Franchise—Required.

  1. It shall be unlawful for any person, owner, agent or otherwise to provide ambulance services or to operate ambulances of any type within the county (origin and destination within corporate limits of Guilford County) without having been granted a franchise to do so.
  2. The term "ambulance" as used in this section is hereby defined as including all vehicles covered by:
    1. The provisions of G.S. 131E-155,
    2. Specialty care transport program vehicles operated in Guilford County,
    3. Convalescent vehicles operated in Guilford County,
    4. Vehicles utilized for hospital to hospital transport when operated in Guilford County.
  3. This chapter’s franchise requirement section shall not apply to:
    1. Ambulances owned or operated by Guilford County government,
    2. Ambulances owned and operated by an agency of the United States government,
    3. Ambulances which transport patients who are picked up outside Guilford County and transported to destinations within Guilford County,
    4. Ambulances which transport patients from within Guilford County to a destination outside Guilford County,
    5. Any entity rendering assistance to a franchised ambulance service in the case of a major catastrophe or emergency under the N.C. State Mutual Aid Agreement., or
    6. A vehicle rendering service as an ambulance in case of a major catastrophe or emergency, when the permitted ambulances based in the locality of the catastrophe or emergency are insufficient to render the services required. As used herein, a major catastrophe or emergency includes, without limitation, circumstances under which available ambulances are unable on a more than isolated basis to meet call demand while maintaining service levels, as reasonably determined by the Guilford County Department of Emergency Services Director or his/her designee. A vehicle operating without a franchise under this exception may do so only with the prior approval of Guilford County through its Emergency Services Director or his/her designee.
  4. Pursuant to G.S. 131E-158 and 131-E-159, no personnel shall attend a patient nor transport a patient within the county, unless he/she holds a valid credential issued by the North Carolina Department Health Service Regulation, Office of Emergency Medical Services and has been granted privileges to practice within the Guilford County EMS System.
  5. All personnel providing pre-hospital medical care will be subject to the direction and control of the EMS system plan and subject to review by the Guilford County Emergency Medical Services Peer Review Committee under the of protection of G.S. 131E-95 or in G.S. 90-21.222A.
  6. The county holds the sole right to open or close acceptance of applications based on system needs.

Original source can be found here.

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