(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or cause to be operated an ambulance within the city without first having obtained a certificate of public, convenience and necessity from the City Council. No such certificate shall be required for any person operating an ambulance or other vehicle who:
(1) Renders assistance during any catastrophe or major emergency when the ambulances authorized to operate in the city by certificate are insufficient in number or for any other reason inadequate;
(2) Operates from a location outside the city and transports any patient from a point of origin outside the city to a destination inside the city;
(3) Operates from a location outside the city and transports any patient from a point of origin within the city to a destination outside the city;
(4) Municipal service agencies, including police and fire rescue units; or
(5) Private companies operating an ambulance solely for the transportation of their employees for illness or injuries sustained while performing their work.
(6) Any ambulance owned or operated by, or under contract to perform ambulance transport services for the federal or state government, or any agency thereof.
(7) Any ambulance owned and operated by a hospital and in use to transport a patient of the owner-hospital, which patient has been admitted to and not been discharged from the owner-hospital, to or from another hospital or medical care facility at which the patient receives a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure not available at the owner-hospital;
(8) Any ambulance engaged in a routine transport call to transport patient from a hospital, nursing home, or dialysis center located within the municipality to any location outside the municipality;
(9) Any ambulance engaged in the inter-state transport of a patient.
(B) Any person having been issued a certificate shall comply with all provisions of this chapter and the standards, rules and regulations adopted here-under, as well as all other applicable local, state and federal laws.
(C) Operators in business in the city shall, upon application to the Council, be issued a certificate covering the number of ambulances presently being operated. These operators shall be granted 60 days to comply with any and all rules, regulations and standards adopted under this chapter.
(`83 Code, § 9-502) (Ord. 817, passed 11-3-80; Am. Ord. 97-29, passed 10-6-97) Penalty, see § 10.99