The following words and phrases when used in this Article 14 have the meanings set forth herein:
“Ambulance” means a vehicle specially constructed, modified, equipped, or arranged to accommodate a gurney and operated commercially for the purpose of medical transportation of sick, injured, convalescent, infirm, or otherwise incapacitated persons.
“Ambulance Service Provider” means a person who furnishes or offers to furnish emergency medical services using an ambulance.
“Certificate of Operation” means a document issued by the Director to a person who qualifies to operate an ambulance in the City.
“Certificate of Participation” means a document that the Director issues to a Receiving Hospital or STEMI Center to authorize the facility to receive patients through Ambulance Service Providers.
“City” means the City and County of San Francisco.
“Color scheme” means a particular design, consisting of appliances, colors, figures, and letters, or any combination thereof, assigned to a particular person for application to the ambulance or ambulances, or to routine medical transport vehicle or vehicles authorized to be operated by such person, for purposes of identification and distinction.
“Department,” unless otherwise indicated, means the Department of Public Health of the City.
“Director” means the Director of the Department, or the Medical Director of the EMS Agency, if required by State law, or the Director’s designated agents or representatives.
“EMS Agency” means the City’s Emergency Medical Services Agency, which is designated as the local EMS Agency under California Health and Safety Code Section 1797.200.
“Facility” means any place or building that is organized, maintained, and operated for the diagnosis, care, prevention, and treatment of human illness, physical or mental, including convalescence and rehabilitation and including care during and after pregnancy, or for any one or more of these purposes, for one or more persons, to which the persons are admitted for a 24-hour stay or longer.
“Hospital” means an acute care facility licensed under California Health and Safety Code, Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 1250) of Division 2, with a permit for basic emergency service or an out-of-state acute care hospital which substantially meets the State requirements as determined by the local EMS agency that is using the hospital in the emergency medical services system, and is licensed in the State.
“Operator” means a person to whom a Certificate of Operation and permit or permits have been issued to operate an ambulance.
“Pediatric Center” means a facility designated by the EMS Agency to receive ambulances and treat critical care pediatric patients.
“Permit” means a permit issued by the Director for an ambulance conforming to the requirements of this Article that is owned or controlled by a person holding or qualifying for a Certificate of Operation pursuant to this Article.
“Person” means and includes an individual, a proprietorship, firm, partnership, joint venture, syndicate, business trust, company, corporation, association, committee, governmental agency, or any other legal entity.
“Receiving Hospital” means a licensed general acute care hospital certified by the EMS Agency to receive patients through Ambulance Service Providers.
“Regulation” means any rules, regulations, policies, procedures, or protocols promulgated by the Director, the State, or under Federal law regarding emergency medical services.
“STEMI” means ST segment elevation myocardial infarction, a type of heart attack, or myocardial infarction, that is caused by a prolonged period of blocked blood supply, which affects a large area of the heart muscle, and causes changes on an electrocardiogram and in the blood levels of key chemical markers.
“STEMI Center” means a facility designated by the EMS Agency to receive ambulances and treat patients with STEMI.
“Stroke Center” means a facility designated by the EMS Agency to receive ambulances and treat stroke patients.
“Trauma Center” means a facility designated by the EMS Agency to receive ambulances and treat trauma patients.