(A)
Prior to accepting applications for the operation of an ambulance, the Board of Commissioners may designate specific service areas as franchise districts. The districts will be established using criteria that include geographic size, road access, the location of existing medical transportation services, population and response time. The county shall have the authority to redistrict or rearrange existing districts at any time at its discretion.
(B) Upon receipt of an application for a franchise, the county shall schedule a time and place for hearing the applicant. The county shall cause such investigation as it may deem necessary to be made of the applicant and its proposed operations.
(C) A franchise may be granted if the county finds that:
(1) The applicant meets all applicable state standards and regulations, the requirements and regulations of the franchise ordinance, and standards which are consistent with and supplementary to any North Carolina statute or any North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services regulation relating to ambulance services.
(2) The proposed franchise will fit within the existing service so as not to adversely affect the operations of the County EMS.
(3) A need exists for the proposed service in order to improve the level of ambulance service available to the residents of the county, and it is determined that this is a reasonable and cost effective manner of meeting the need. Factors to be considered in evaluating need include, but are not limited to: call volume in the proposed area; quality of the existing service and whether quality would be improved in the proposed and surrounding service areas by an additional service; response times; communication systems; and capability for maintaining medical control requirements.
(Ord. passed 10-28-14; Ord. passed 2-27-18; Ord. passed 11-12-19; Ord. passed 2-27-23)