<div class="chunk-title">Sec. 82-26. - Definitions.</div>
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            <p class="p0">
               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:
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Ambulance</span> means any privately or publicly owned motor vehicle, aircraft, or vessel that is
               specially designed, constructed, or modified and equipped and is intended to be used
               for and is maintained or operated for the transportation upon the streets or highways,
               waterways, or airways of this state of persons who are sick, injured, wounded, or
               otherwise incapacitated or helpless.
               
               <p class="incr1">
                  (1)
                  
               </p>
               		
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                  <span class="ital">Category I ambulance</span> means an emergency vehicle used to transport patients with medical conditions of
                  an emergency nature or patients for which the need for emergency medical care is anticipated
                  either at the scene of the emergency or enroute to a medical facility. Category I
                  ambulances may be used to transport all types of patients.
                  
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               <p class="incr1">
                  (2)
                  
               </p>
               		
               <p class="content2">
                  <span class="ital">Category II ambulance</span> means a vehicle used solely to transport sick or infirm patients having a known and
                  nonemergent medical condition on a scheduled basis between medical facilities or between
                  a residence and a medical facility. Category II ambulances must not be used to transport
                  patients defined under any other category of ambulance.
                  
               </p>
               		
               
            
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               <span class="ital">Ambulance provider</span> means an individual, firm, corporation or association who engages or professes to
               engage in the business or service of transporting patients in an ambulance.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Attendant</span> means an individual who actually attends to the patient, in the ambulance and at
               the scene, at all times during provision of ambulance service until such patient is
               delivered to his destination.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Board</span> means the county board of commissioners or its designated representative.
               
            </p>
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               <span class="ital">Cabarrus County Emergency Medical Service System</span>, sometimes referred to as Cabarrus County EMS, means the network of services that
               provides for the detection and reporting of medical emergencies; prompt and effective
               initial medical care at the scene of an accident, injury or illness; transportation
               and effective medical care and treatment en route to an appropriate medical facility;
               and care of the patient until he is discharged, referred or admitted for definitive
               medical care.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">CMED</span> means the central medical emergency dispatch operated through the county communications
               center. CMED is operated by the county and is manned at all times to receive and process
               requests for emergency and other services. Among other dispatch and communications
               activities, CMED is responsible for dispatch, communications and coordination of all
               emergency ambulance service operations in the county.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Emergency ambulance service</span> means the service rendered by the operation of an ambulance to the scene where an
               emergency patient is in need of immediate medical care, emergency first aid or basic
               or advanced life support procedures, and transportation to an emergency medical facility.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Emergency medical facility</span> means a designated area within a hospital where there is available, on a 24-hour
               basis, staffing by highly qualified medical and hospital support personnel, all types
               of specialists, blood banks, general and special purpose operating rooms, diagnostic
               facilities and equipment capable of rendering complex and comprehensive emergency
               medical care.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Emergency medical technician</span> means an individual who meets all requirements and regulations of the state and is
               currently certified as an emergency medical technician in and by the state. The emergency
               medical technician is the individual who is responsible for the medical aspects of
               the mission prior to arrival at the hospital, assuming no other person of higher certification
               or license is available.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Franchise</span> means a permit issued by the county for operation of an ambulance or ambulance service.
               There are two types of franchises granted: nonemergency ambulance service and emergency
               ambulance service.
               
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               <span class="ital">Franchisee</span> means any ambulance provider which has been issued a franchise by the county for
               the operation of an ambulance.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Medical facility</span> means any facility providing direct or supportive medical or convalescent care, diagnostic
               services, referral services, inpatient care, clinical services, etc. Medical facilities
               include, but are not limited to, hospitals, clinics, doctor's offices, nursing homes,
               minor emergency centers, etc.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Nonemergency ambulance service</span> means the service rendered by an ambulance providing nonemergency medical necessity
               transportation of nonemergency patient to, from or between medical facilities or residences.
               
            </p>
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               <span class="ital">Operator</span> means a person in actual physical control of a vehicle which is in motion or which
               has the engine running.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Patient</span> means an individual who is sick, injured, wounded or otherwise incapacitated or helpless.
               
               <p class="incr1">
                  (1)
                  
               </p>
               		
               <p class="content2">
                  <span class="ital">Emergency patient</span> means a patient for which the need for emergency medical care is anticipated either
                  at the time of service or enroute to a medical facility or whose condition is medically
                  unstable or any patient whose request for service is due to traumatic injury or a
                  medical problem with sudden or acute onset of symptoms at the time service is requested.
                  Emergency patients also include those patients who require, may require or are receiving
                  intensive care procedures as defined in North Carolina Administrative Code, Subchapter
                  32H - Mobile Intensive Care, Section .0402 through .0402 inclusive, at any time while
                  ambulance service is being provided.
                  
               </p>
               		
               
               <p class="incr1">
                  (2)
                  
               </p>
               		
               <p class="content2">
                  <span class="ital">Nonemergency patient</span> means a sick or infirm patient with either a known, nonurgent or nonemergent medical
                  condition for which emergency medical care is neither anticipated at the time of service
                  nor enroute to their destination. Nonemergency patients may be referred to in this
                  article as convalescent patients.
                  
               </p>
               		
               <p class="b2">
                  Nonemergency patients also include those patients of any hospice program with which
                  the nonemergency ambulance service provider contracts to provide transportation services
                  and for whom no emergency medical care is to be provided in accordance with lawful
                  and appropriate orders from the patients' physician.
                  
               </p>
               <p class="b2">
                  A long-term or chronically ill patient with an indwelling naso-gastric or urinary
                  catheter may be classified as a nonemergency patient for local ambulance transportation
                  (call origin and destination within the county) when the patient's physician authorizes
                  transportation by a nonemergency ambulance service provider at the time of service,
                  when no medical care or procedures are required en route, and when such authorization
                  is documented on the ambulance call report. A patient with anvenous line in place
                  may only be transported as a nonemergency patient if the intravenous line is discontinued
                  while ambulance service is being provided (i.e., no intravenous infusion at any time
                  while ambulance service is being provided), or the if the patient is being transported
                  by an entity providing service as described in<a href="" data-chunk-id="PTIICOOR_CH82VEHI_ARTIIAM_DIV1GE_S82-31NOAMSE" class="section-link" data-product-id="12658"> section 82-31</a> or<a href="" data-chunk-id="PTIICOOR_CH82VEHI_ARTIIAM_DIV2FR_S82-51REEX" class="section-link" data-product-id="12658"> 82-51</a>(b)(3).
                  
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               (Ord. of 9-4-90, Â§ 1)
               
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            <p class="refcross0" block_type="hang"><b>Cross referenceâ€” </b>
               Definitions generally,<a href="" data-chunk-id="PTIICOOR_CH1GEPR_S1-2RUCODE" class="section-link" data-product-id="12658"> Â§ 1-2</a>.
               
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