HomeMy WebLinkAbout4323 AN ORDINANCE amending regulation of ambulance services, expanding a system
of advanced life support service to provide routine transportation by the City, making
private representatives non:voting members on the Advisory Committee and
amending Bremerton Municipal Code Chapter 5.50.
WHEREAS, the City of Bremerton currently provides advance life support
ambulance transport in conjunction with a private ambulance company; and
WHEREAS, public hearings were held on January 23, 1991 and February 13, 1991
at which public testimony was taken concerning the current method of providing advance
life support ambulance transport; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds:
(1) Private ambulances are not providing ALS transport since the paramedics
necessary for this service are employees of the City;
(2) There have been documented delays in the arrival of the private ambulance
which might degrade patient care and which would be eliminated if transport could
commence immediately with the Bremerton aid car already on the scene; and
(3) An alternate system of staffing private ambulances with private paramedics, if
forthcoming, would cause a break in the continuity of patient care critical to ALS patients;
and
WHEREAS, the City of Bremerton is not adequately served by the existing private
ambulance service in the provision of advanced life support ambulance transport; NOW
THEREFORE
THE CITY OF BREMERTON DOES HEREBY ORDAIN:
Section 1. Amendment. Chapter 5.50of the Bremerton Municipal Code is hereby
amended to read as follows:
5.50.010 DEFINITIONS.
(a) "Advanced life support" means those services requiring medical treatment by a
certified paramedic.
~) "Aid call" means any 911 initiated call, request or dispatch for emergency
medical treatment.
~l(-a-)- "Ambulance" means any privately or publicly owned vehicle that is especially
designed constructed, equipped, maintained or used for the transportation of patients who
are sick, injured or otherwise incapacitated, which is operated as part of an ambulance
service for hire.
(d)0~)- "Ambulance service" means any person, as defined in this section, who
operates an ambulance for hire which is either stationed within or without the city or
dispatched from within or without the city to pick up injured or sick fares within the city or
which makes trips to the city, from points outside its city limits, for the purpose of
transporting sick or injured fares from points within the city; Provided, however, That the
provision of this chapter shall not apply to any ambulance which shall pass through the city
in the delivery of fares picked up at points beyond the limits of the city; and Provided,
further, That the provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any ambulance which is owned
and operated by an ambulance service that is licensed in another jurisdiction within the state
when the ambulance the city for the sole purpose of transporting a sick or injured fare from
a point within the city to a point within the jurisdiction wherein the ambulance service is
licensed.
(e) "Basic life support" means those medical services which can be performed by one
who is a certified emergency medical technician.
f~(-e)- "Communication system" means two-way radio communications between
ambulances, dispatchers, hospitals and other agencies as needed. A four-bank
multifrequency capability is acceptable.
(g)(d-)- "Medical attendant" means any trained or otherwise qualified individual
responsible for the operation of an ambulance and the care of the patients, whether or not
the medical attendant also serves as a driver.
(h)(-e-)- "Patient" means an individual who is sick, injured, wounded or otherwise
incapacitated or helPless.
ifj)(-f)- "Person" means any individual, firm, partnership, association, corporation,
company, or group of individuals acting together for a common purpose or organization of
any kind, including any governmental agency other than the United States.
5.50.050 CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT AID CAR. a ......................... .r o
...... ~, ........... }, ........ j ~, .....n~d car. At each aid call to which a City aid car
responds, the officer in charge shall determine whether the patient is in need of advanced
life support or basic life support services. If the officer d~ides that the patient is in need
of advanced life support services, the patient shall be transported to a hospital in a City aid
car, if available. Provided however, If the patient's medical interests would be best served
by transporting the patient by private aid car, the officer in charge may arrange for the
patient to be transported in that manner.
5.50.065 RATES FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT. The fee for transport by public aid
car shall be subject to the review and approval of the City Council and filed with the City
Clerk.
5.50.070 ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
(a) The mayor shall appoint with the concurrence of the City Council, an Advisory
Committee composed of seven persons. Such Advisory Committee shall consist of the
Mayor, the director of the emergency room or the administrator of Harrison Memorial
Hospital, or his or her designee, one member of the greater Bremerton area Chamber of
Commerce, the chiefs of the Bremerton fire and police Departments, and a representative
of the ambulance cc, mpany companies as a non-voting ex officio member
(b) The terms of the members of the advisory committee shall be as follows:
(3) The ~:': .... ~, ,~ r,:,.. Chamber representative, two years.
Section 2. Initial Rate. The initial rate for City ALS transport shall be $125.00 for
residents and $175.00 for non-residents. Residency shall be presumed to be the patient's
mailing address, unless established by suitable proof to the contrary.
Section 3. Effective Date. This ordinance shall become effective ten (10) days from
passage and publication.
APPROVED by the City Council of the City of Bremerton this / -~y of
~kg'V,/ ,1991.
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Bremerton this ~
day of
\\ LYNN HORTON, Council President
LO~JIS MENTOR, Mayor
ATTEST:
KATHLEEN McCLUSKEY, City Clerk