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(a) A licensee shall only provide private ambulance service with vehicles designed and constructed to transport sick and injured persons in comfort and safety. A licensee shall maintain vehicles in safe mechanical condition and shall maintain the interior and exterior of the vehicles in good repair and in a clean, sanitary condition.
(b) A licensee or applicant for a license shall have each vehicle to be used in private ambulance service inspected in a manner approved by the director before issuance of a license and at such other times as may be ordered by the director. Inspection must determine safety of the vehicle, condition of maintenance, and compliance with state and federal laws.
(c) The fee for each inspection of each vehicle to be operated under a private ambulance service license is $131.
(d) If a vehicle is involved in an accident or collision during the term of the license, the licensee shall notify the director within five days after the accident or collision. Before operating the vehicle again under the license, a licensee shall have the vehicle reinspected for safety and shall send to the director a sworn affidavit that the vehicle has been restored to its previous condition.
(e) The director shall designate the time and place for annual inspection of vehicles operated under a license. If the director designates someone other than a city employee to perform the inspection, the applicant or licensee shall bear the reasonable cost of inspection.
(f) A licensee may contract for maintenance but shall be responsible for maintaining all vehicles operated under the license in safe operating condition. (Ord. Nos. 21861; 25048; 30215)
(a) The licensee, owner, or permittee of a private ambulance shall provide and maintain in the vehicle all equipment required by the director, which shall be specified in the private ambulance service license.
(b) Each vehicle must have:
(1) a paint scheme that has been approved by the director;
(2) the trade name of the company and the equipment number permanently affixed in a manner and location approved by the director; and
(3) a decal complying with Section 15D-9.33.
(c) Each private ambulance must be licensed as an emergency medical services vehicle with the Texas Department of Health. Each private ambulance and all private ambulance equipment must comply with all applicable federal and state motor vehicle safety standards and with the standards for emergency medical services vehicles set forth in the Emergency Medical Services Act (Chapter 773, Texas Health and Safety Code), as amended. All safety mechanisms on each vehicle must be operative and in good repair, including, but not limited to, headlights, taillights, turn signals, brakes, brakelights, emergency lights, windshield wipers, wiper blades, handles opening doors and windows, tires, and spare tires.
(d) Each private ambulance, while on an ambulance call, must be accompanied by at least two ambulance personnel permitted under this article. One of the ambulance personnel shall serve as the driver while the other remains in attendance on the sick or injured patient.
(e) Clean and sanitary bed linens must be provided on each private ambulance for each patient carried. Bed linens must be changed as soon as practical after the discharge of a patient, but before picking up another patient. (Ord. 21861)
(a) A licensee shall obtain from the director a decal indicating a private ambulance’s authority to operate in the city. The decal must be attached to each vehicle in a manner and location approved by the director.
(b) The director may cause a decal to be removed from a private ambulance that at any time fails to meet the minimum standards for appearance, condition, age, or equipment. The fee for reissuance of a decal to a private ambulance from which a decal has been removed by the director is $10. The fee for a duplicate decal for one lost, destroyed, or mutilated, is $5.
(c) A person commits an offense if he:
(1) operates a private ambulance in the city with an expired decal or with no decal affixed to it; or
(2) attaches a decal to a vehicle not authorized to operate as a private ambulance in the city. (Ord. 21861)
The director, the fire chief, or a peace officer may inspect a private ambulance service operating in the city to determine whether the service complies with this article, rules and regulations established by the director under this article, and other applicable law. (Ord. 21861)
Officers of the police department shall assist in the enforcement of this article. A police officer, upon observing a violation of this article or the rules and regulations established by the director under this article, shall take necessary enforcement action to insure effective regulation of private ambulance service. (Ord. 21861)
(a) If the director determines that a licensee is in violation of the terms of the license, this article, the rules and regulations established by the director under this article, a lawful order of the director, or other applicable law, the director may notify the licensee in writing of the violation and by written order direct the licensee to correct the violation within a reasonable period of time. In setting the time for correction, the director shall consider the degree of danger to the public health or safety and the nature of the violation. If the violation involves equipment that is unsafe or functioning improperly, the director shall order the licensee to immediately cease use of the equipment.
(b) If the director determines that a violation is an imminent and serious threat to the public health or safety, the director shall order the licensee to correct the violation immediately. If the licensee fails to comply, the director shall promptly take or cause to be taken any action he considers necessary to the immediate enforcement of the order.
(c) The director shall include in a notice issued under this section:
(1) an identification of the violation;
(2) the date of issuance of the notice;
(3) the time period within which the violation must be corrected;
(4) a warning that failure to comply with the order may result in suspension or revocation of the license, imposition of a fine, or both; and
(5) a statement indicating that the order may be appealed to the city manager. (Ord. 21861)
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