A. Definitions: For the purpose of this Section 4-1-17, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning:
1. ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT (ALS): A level of ambulance service also referred to as Advanced EMT by the Illinois Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems under the Illinois Department of Public Health rules and regulations.
2. ALS AMBULANCE: A non-municipal owned ambulance that is licensed by the State of Illinois to provide advanced life support services, but such ALS ambulance shall not utilize the "In-Field Service Level Upgrade" option under the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) rules and regulations.
3. OWNER/OPERATOR: An owner/operator of a non-municipal owned ambulance company or entity that provides ALS ambulance services within the city and within the Taylorville Fire Protection District.
4. CITY: The City of Taylorville, Illinois, a municipal corporation.
5. LICENSE: Written permission from the city to operate a non-municipal ALS Ambulance service within the corporate limits of the city and of the Taylorville Protection District.
B. License Required and Additional Requirements:
1. It shall be unlawful for any owner/operator to operate any non-municipal owned ambulance service within the city or within the Taylorville Fire Protection District without having first obtained and operating under a license issued from the city and which is in effect.
2. It shall be unlawful for any owner/operator to violate any of the terms or provisions of this section 4-1-17.
3. No license shall be issued to any owner/operator until and unless the owner/operator meets and satisfies the minimum requirements set forth in this section 4-1-17.
4. The form of the application for the license shall be on such form as the city may approve from time to time; and the owner/operator shall provide the city with all information required in such application.
5. As a condition of the license, the owner/operator shall comply with any and all other city code provisions, ordinances, rules and regulations relating to ambulance services and the operation of vehicles within the city as are now in effect or as may be in effect from time to time hereafter.
6. As a further condition of the license, the owner/operator agrees to and shall use it best efforts to provide a minimum of a ninety (90) day written notice to the city prior to terminating its ALS Ambulance service in whole or in part within the city and/or within the Taylorville Fire Protection District; but in any event the owner/operator agrees to and shall provide minimum of a sixty (60) day written notice to the city prior to terminating its ALS Ambulance service in whole or in part within the city and/or within the Taylorville Fire Protection District.
7. As a further condition of the license, the owner/operator agrees to and shall provide ALS Ambulance services within the city and within the Taylorville Fire Protection District.
8. As a further condition of the license, the owner/operator shall keep their ambulance fleet records updated as ambulances are rotated out of ALS Ambulance service.
9. The following additional requirements shall be met by the owner/operator prior to the issuance of and as conditions for a License:
a. The owner/operator shall provide the city with the full legal name and address of each individual shareholder, member, manager, partner and person who owns an interest in and to the entity or entities (eq. a corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, partnership, sole proprietorship, or other organization) formed by the owner/operator to provide the ALS Ambulance services; and the trade names under which the owner/operator intends to conduct the ALS Ambulance service business.
b. The owner/operator shall provide the city with the following information for each ambulance to operate under the license:
(1) Make;
(2) Model;
(3) Year of manufacture; and
(4) Current state license number.
c. The owner/operator shall provide the address of each facility located within the city that will be used by the owner/operator to operate its ambulance service under such license; and the owner/operator shall headquarter its ambulance services, crews, and ambulances in a facility located within the city.
d. The owner/operator shall have in effect at all times all licenses and certifications required by the State of Illinois and the Illinois Department of Public Health to operate an ALS Ambulance service; and the owner/operator shall provide a copy of all such licenses and certifications to the city at the time of application for a License, and within five (5) business days of the owner/operator's receipt of each renewal license and/or certification as the case may be from the appropriate licensing and/or certifying entity or agency.
e. The owner/operator shall provide and maintain, twenty-four (24) hours per day/ seven (7) days week/ three hundred sixty-five (365) days per year, a minimum of one (1) ambulance in good operating condition at all times that is fully equipped and licensed as required by the laws and regulations of the State of Illinois and of the Illinois Department of Public Health for operation of ambulance services and which is manned by qualified personnel at all times who, as a minimum, meet the requirements and are duly licensed as Advanced EMT under the laws and regulations of the State of Illinois and of the Illinois Department of Public Health to provide Advance Life Support service. Any additional ambulances that an owner/operator shall determine to immediately operate 911 emergency calls under a license shall likewise meet the aforesaid ambulance equipment, licensed manned personnel, and twenty-four/seven (24/7), seven (7) days/week, three hundred sixty-five (365) days per year time operational requirements. Each ALS Ambulance is required to be equipped and staffed by personnel and shall meet the ALS level of ambulance service at all times under the rules and regulations of the State of Illinois and of the Illinois Department of Public Health in lieu of utilizing and shall not utilize the "In-Field Service Level Upgrade" option under the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).
f. The owner/operator shall provide such other operational information that may be requested by the city from time to time. Any owner/operator providing ALS Ambulance service as of May 1, 2019 will have the first annual fee waived but shall be required to provide the city all required information and documentation as set forth in this section 1-4-17 and obtain a license to continue to operate an ALS Ambulance service within the city.
g. The owner/operator shall notify Christian County 911 every time each of its ambulances goes in service or out of service. The owner/operator shall maintain accurate records utilizing Christian County 911 dispatch times for all calls generated through a 911 emergency response. Such records shall include the calls for service received within the city and within the Taylorville Fire Protection District, the number of cancelled calls, the identification of the responding ambulance, and the names of the attendants responding. Such records that reflect response times shall be available to the city on a requested basis from time to time either in hard copy or other media. Upon a five (5) calendar day written notice mailed to the owner/operator at the address shown on the license, the city shall have the right to inspect, at any time or times during normal business hours (i.e. between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday thru Fridays of each week) the aforesaid records of the owner/operator within the allowable limits of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
10. The annual fee to apply for and/or for the issuance of the license shall be five hundred dollars ($500.00). Unless sooner revoked or terminated, a license shall be valid for a period of three hundred sixty-five (365) days following issuance of the license.
C. Rates and Charges:
1. The rates and charges for ambulance service under the license shall be determined and collected by the owner/operator from time to time.
D. Penalty:
1. Any owner/operator found to have been in violation of any of the terms and provisions of this section 4-1-17 shall be assessed a fine or penalty in an amount of not less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) nor more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00) for each offense. Each day upon which a violation occurs or continues shall be deemed to be a separate offense. A violation hereof may be established by a preponderance of the evidence.
2. In addition to the fine and penalty as set forth in the preceding subparagraph D.1. above, and not in lieu thereof, the Mayor may revoke the license of an owner/operator or suspend such license for such time as he may deem appropriate, all as determined from time to time by the Mayor in his sole discretion. (Ord. 3896, 5-20-2019)