(a) No person, either as owner, agent or otherwise, shall furnish, operate, conduct, maintain, advertise, or otherwise be engaged in or profess to be engaged in the business or service of emergency and/or nonemergency transportation of patients within the county unless the person holds a valid permit for each ambulance used in such business or service issued by the state department of health and human services, office of emergency medical services, and has been granted a franchise for the operation of such business or service by the county pursuant to this chapter.
(b) No person shall drive an ambulance, attend a patient in one, or permit one to be operated when transporting a patient within the county unless he holds a currently valid certificate as an emergency medical responder, EMT-advanced EMT, or paramedic issued by the state department of health and human services, office of emergency medical services. In an emergency situation, a member of local fire department can operate an EMS vehicle as long as the member has completed the North Carolina Emergency Vehicle Driving course.
(c) No franchise shall be required for:
(1) Any entity operated from a location or headquarters outside of the county in order to transport patients who are picked up beyond the limits of the county, to facilities located within
the county, or to pick up patients within the county for transporting to locations outside the county; but no such entity shall be used to pick up patients within the county for transporting to locations within the county or other locations unless it is rendering assistance to a franchised ambulance service in the case of a major catastrophe, mutual aid or emergency with which the services franchised by the county are insufficient or unable to cope as referred to in this subsection (c)(1); or
(2) An ambulance owned and operated by the state, county or an agency of the United States government.
(3) Any fire department contracted with Johnston County providing service as a first responder.
(Ord. of 4-6-1998, § II; Amend. of 6-2-2008(2); Amend. of 6-4-2012; Amend. of 4-7-2014; Amend of 8-3-2020; Amend. of 10-2-2023)