For the purpose of this subchapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT (ALS). Emergency pre-hospital care that uses invasive medical acts. The provision of ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT shall be under the medical supervision and control of a licensed physician.
AMBULANCE. Any privately- or publicly-owned motor vehicle constructed, reconstructed, arranged, equipped, used or otherwise intended to be used for transportation of sick, injured or otherwise incapacitated persons from one place to another. The term shall be construed to mean either EMERGENCY AMBULANCES or TRANSFER AMBULANCES.
AMBULANCE SERVICE. The providing or making available to the public or to any person of a motor vehicle and any personnel required by this subchapter for transportation of and/or the provision of pre-hospital emergency medical services to an individual who is sick, injured or incapacitated, whether in emergency circumstances or in a transfer situation.
BASIC LIFE SUPPORT. Emergency pre-hospital care that uses non-invasive medical acts. The provision of BASIC LIFE SUPPORT may be under the medical supervision and control of a licensed physician.
EMERGENCY. Any combination of events or circumstances which results in life- or body-threatening injury or illness requiring immediate emergency medical services.
EMERGENCY AMBULANCE OR RESCUE VEHICLE. Any motor vehicle constructed or designed for transporting the sick or injured, and which meets all of the existing requirements established by the State Department of Transportation, GSA Bulletin KKK-A-1822, as referenced by State Department of Health, and the provisions of this subchapter.
EMERGENCY AMBULANCE SERVICE. Any organization or operation which utilizes an emergency ambulance to respond to the scene of an emergency for the purpose of rendering emergency
medical services and/or providing transportation of the sick and injured to a hospital or other place for medical attention.
EMERGENCY CALL. Any request for ambulance service that is made in circumstances which are, or have been represented to be, an emergency and require immediate pre-hospital emergency medical service.
EMERGENCY CARE ATTENDANT (ECA). Any person who has met all the minimum requirements established by this subchapter, and who has completed all of the training requirements established by the State Department of Transportation’s Emergency Care Attendant Outline and who has met all of the requirements established by the State Emergency Care Attendant Registry.
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE (EMS). The emergency medical service system established for the purpose of providing to the citizens of the city an emergency medical service utilizing emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and emergency vehicles in compliance with the regulations outlined in this subchapter.
EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN (EMT). Any person who has met all the minimum requirements established by this subchapter, and who has completed all of the training requirements established by the State Department of Transportation’s Emergency Medical Technician Outline and who has met all of the requirements established by the State Emergency Medical Technician Registry.
EMERGENCY TRANSFER. Any transportation provided for a patient by an emergency vehicle from one hospital or other place of treatment, after initial stabilization, to another hospital or other place of treatment for definitive care, under emergency circumstances.
INDUSTRIAL AMBULANCE. Any vehicle owned and operated by an industrial facility at industrial sites used for the initial transport or transfer of the unstable urgently sick persons at those sites who become sick, injured, wounded or otherwise incapacitated in the course of their employment from the job site to an appropriate medical facility; provided, however, that, the vehicle is not available for hire or use by the general public, except when assisting the local community in disaster situations or related emergencies.
MEDICAL SUPERVISION. Direction given to emergency medical services personnel by a licensed physician under the terms of the Medical Practice Act (Tex. Occupations Code § 151.001) and rules promulgated by the State Board of Medical Examiners pursuant to the terms of the Medical Practice Act.
NON-EMERGENCY. Any situation not classified as an emergency.
PATIENT. Any person who is sick, injured or incapacitated and who becomes subject to transportation or care by an emergency medical technician (EMT) attendant, driver or attendant-driver pursuant to the terms of this subchapter.
PATIENT DROP-OFF. The act of unloading a stretcher-bound patient from the back of the ambulance and moving patient into a hospital or other place for medical attention.
PATIENT PICK-UP. The act of loading a stretcher-bound patient into the back of an ambulance providing transport/transfer from a hospital or other place that medical care was obtained or requested.
PERMIT OFFICER. The Fire Chief or his or her duly authorized representative.
PERSON. Any individual, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company, group of individuals acting together for a common purpose, or organization of any kind. The term shall not include any governmental agency.
STORE FRONT. Building used to house office, personnel, and provide parking area for ambulances.
TRANSFER/TRANSPORT. Movement, in a transfer vehicle, of pre-scheduled non-emergency patients from place to place.
TRANSFER AMBULANCE. Any motor vehicle constructed, arranged and equipped for transporting non-emergency patients from place to place, and which meets the requirements of Texas Revised Civil Statutes, the requirements of the State Department of Health and the provisions of this subchapter.
TRANSFER AMBULANCE SERVICE. Any organization or operation utilizing a transfer vehicle for the purpose of transporting non-emergency patients from one place to another.
(1998 Code, § 46-32) (Ord. 14-11, passed 5-21-2014; Ord. 2022-12, passed 7-6-2022)