§ 23-4.1-6 - Licensing of ambulances and ambulance service.
SECTION 23-4.1-6
§ 23-4.1-6 Licensing of ambulances andambulance service. – (a) A person shall not engage in the business or service of the transportationof patients upon any public way of the state unless that person holds a licenseby the director of health for engaging in that business or service.
(b) A person shall not operate an ambulance on public ways inthis state if the ambulance is not licensed by the director of health underthis chapter.
(c) The director of health shall not issue or renew a licensefor an ambulance under this chapter unless the ambulance meets the minimumequipment standards established under this chapter.
(d) If a major emergency occurs and the licensed ambulancesin the state are not sufficient to meet the needs to transport the injured orsick persons, the licensing provisions of this section do not apply during theperiod of the emergency.
(e) If an ambulance is owned by a nonresident and is licensedas a motor vehicle in another state, it may be operated on the public ways ofthis state to transport patients who are picked up out of state and brought totreatment centers in the state, without the ambulance, its owners, the driver,the attendant, or the attendant drivers being licensed under this section.
(2) Also exempted are:
(i) Any motor vehicles or aircraft owned by or operated underthe direct control of the United States;
(ii) Those hospital-based and owned vehicles and theirattendants which are used solely for the transportation of non-emergencypatients to and from other institutions for the purpose of therapy and/or othermedical treatment and services of a non-emergency nature; and
(iii) Those private ambulance and service companies and theirattendants which are used solely for the transportation of non-emergencypatients; provided, however, that those private ambulance and service companiesannually attest to the ambulance service coordinating board the fact that theambulance or service companies are not engaged in the transportation ofemergency patients.
(f) Any change of ownership of a licensed ambulance or of abusiness or service engaged in the transportation of patients ends the licenseconcerned. Upon a change of ownership, the director of health shall issue aninety (90) day temporary license upon the application of the new owner for acurrent license.
(g) All persons engaged in the business or service of thetransportation of patients on any public ways in the state, all personoperating an ambulance for ambulance purposes on any public way in the state,and all ambulances operated on public ways in this state shall conform to theminimum standards set by regulations issued under the authority of this chapter.
(h) If there is a hardship imposed on any applicant for alicense because of an unusual circumstance, the applicant may apply to thedirector for a temporary waiver of the licensing provisions of this section forgood cause shown. The director has the power to waive licensing provisions fora period not to exceed ninety (90) days.