§ 42-61. Definitions.

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Advanced life support means advanced prehospital emergency treatment care rendered by personnel certified at the emergency medical technician-paramedic level working under the direction of a licensed physician providing medical control by established medical protocols as approved by the Lafayette Parish Medical Society through its resource hospital.

Air ambulance services means fixed wing and rotor wing service provided to residents due to therapeutic measures needed within a certain time frame when ground transportation is not suitable to meet this need. Air service shall also include provisions for advanced life support services during transfer to an appropriate medical facility when ground transportation is not suitable.

Ambulance or private ambulance means any privately owned authorized emergency vehicle equipped with warning devices, designed and operated as a part of a regular course of conduct or business to transport a sick or injured individual or which is advertised or otherwise held out to the public as such. The vehicle shall be staffed by two attendants whose minimum qualifications are one emergency medical technician-paramedic and one emergency medical technician-basic as defined in this section, and a minimum of two stretchers so positioned that at least one patient can be given advanced life support during transit. The term "ambulances" shall not be deemed to include vehicles used for transporting corpses to and from the Lafayette Parish Forensic Facility and/or funeral homes.

Certified emergency medical technician - Basic means an individual who has successfully completed an emergency medical technician-basic training program developed and promulgated by the United States Department of Transportation and adopted by the department of health and hospitals, bureau of emergency medical services.

Certified emergency medical technician - Intermediate means any individual who has successfully completed an emergency medical technician-intermediate training program devoted and promulgated by the United States Department of Transportation and adopted by the department of health and hospitals, bureau of emergency medical services.

Certified emergency medical technician - Paramedic means any individual who has successfully completed an emergency medical technician-paramedic training program developed and promulgated by the United States Department of Transportation and adopted by the department of health and hospitals, bureau of emergency medical services.

Driver means any person who drives an ambulance.

Emergency means alteration or deterioration of an individual's medical or psychological status due to illness or traumatic injury, which may result in permanent disability, physical impairment or death without prompt medical or surgical intervention by a qualified health care professional and must be responded to with ambulance lights and sirens activated.

Emergency medical response vehicle means a marked emergency vehicle staffed by an emergency medical technician-paramedic with fully visual and audible warning signals operated by a certified ambulance service, the primary purpose of which is to respond to the scene of a medical emergency to provide emergency medical stabilization support, or command and control communications, but which is not a vehicle designed or intended for the purpose of transporting a victim from the scene of an emergency to a medical facility regardless of its designation. Included are such vehicles referred to, but are not limited to, the designation as "sprint car," "quick response vehicle," "special response vehicle," "triage trucks," "staff cars," "supervisor units," and other similar designations. Emergency medical response vehicles shall not include fire apparatus and law enforcement patrol vehicles which carry first aid or emergency medical supplies and which respond to medical emergencies as part of their routine duties.

Emergency medical service advisory board means the board as is established by the terms and provisions of this article.

Ground ambulance operations means the provision of ground ambulance service by a vehicle when both the point of origin and destination, whether emergency or nonemergency service, is within the parish.

Medical control means the direct communication between a licensed physician and advanced life support personnel by radio or telephone communications.

Medical director means a physician licensed to practice medicine by the state board of medical examiners.

Need and necessity means that there exists a current and permanent need for additional ambulance services in the city and/or parish and that the existing ambulance operator currently holding a valid permit to operate within the city and/or parish, after being notified by the emergency medical services advisory board of a finding of such need, fails to provide the additional services determined necessary, within 30 working days of receipt of such notice.

Nonemergency means all medical care and transportation which is not emergency in nature as defined above.

Origin and destination means, for the purposes of this article, locations within the parish where a ground ambulance transport commences and terminates.

Owner/operator means any person who owns or operates an ambulance for the purpose of providing both emergency and/or nonemergency medical care and transportation.

Person means any person, firm, partnership, association, company or organization of any kind.

Physician means a physician licensed to practice medicine by the state board of medical examiners.

Protocols means the prehospital emergency medical paramedic's field and drug therapy approved in accordance with R.S. 40:1234 and approved by the Lafayette Parish Medical Society.

Standby services means those services provided by a licensed and staffed emergency medical response vehicle, ambulance and/or personnel located at any public or private event for the purpose of providing emergency or nonemergency medical services to the participants and/or spectators of such an event.

(Ord. No. O-338-98, § 1, 12-10-98)

Cross reference

Definitions generally, § 1-2.