<div class="chunk-title">Sec. 22-41. - Requirements of franchisees.</div>
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            <p class="incr0">
               (a)
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            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Grant of franchise before provision of service.</span> No person either as owner, agent, employee or otherwise, shall furnish, operate,
               conduct, maintain, advertise or otherwise be engaged in or profess to be engaged in
               the business of emergency, nonemergency or convalescent transportation of patients
               within the county unless the person holds a valid permit for each ambulance used in
               such business issued by OEMS and has been granted a franchise for the operation of
               such business or service by the county pursuant to this article.
               </p>
            		
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               (b)
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               <span class="ital">For emergency transportation.</span> No person shall drive, operate or attend a vehicle being operated as an ambulance
               for emergency transportation purposes within the county unless such person holds all
               necessary and appropriate permits and licenses required by OEMS rules and statutes.
               No ambulance shall be operated for emergency transportation purposes unless the vehicle
               is staffed and/or operated in accordance with all applicable OEMS rules and statutes.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (c)
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            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">For convalescent or nonemergency transportation.</span> No ambulance shall be operated for convalescent or nonemergency transportation service
               or purposes within the county unless the vehicle is staffed and operated in compliance
               with protocols consistent with OEMS rules and statutes.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (d)
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               <span class="ital">Exceptions.</span> No franchise shall be required, and the provisions of subsections (a), (b) and (c)
               of this section shall not apply to the following:
               </p>
            		
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               (1)
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               Any entity rendering assistance to a franchised ambulance service in the case of a
               major catastrophe or emergency with which the services franchised by the county are
               insufficient or unable to cope.
               </p>
            		
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               (2)
               </p>
            		
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               Any entity operated from a location or headquarters outside of the county in order
               to transport patients who are picked up beyond the limits of the county, but no such
               entity shall be used to pick up patients within the county for transporting to locations
               within the county unless it is rendering assistance referred to in subsection (c)
               of this section.
               </p>
            		
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               (3)
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               Law enforcement personnel.
               </p>
            		
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               (4)
               </p>
            		
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               Volunteer fire departments, rescue squads or hospitals providing such services.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (5)
               </p>
            		
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               The person that currently holds or is hereafter awarded the ambulance service contract
               by the Veterans Administration Hospital at Oteen, North Carolina, for transports to
               and from Veteran's Administration only.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (6)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               Medical air ambulances or helicopters which provide emergency medical transportation
               services.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="historynote0">
               (
               <a class="ordinance-link" href="" data-product-id="12776" data-ordinance-id="709378">
                  Ord. No. 14-11-11
                  </a>
               , Â§ 1, 11-18-14)
               </p></div>