<div class="chunk-title">Sec. 27-2. - Franchise required.</div>
<div class="chunk-content">
            <p class="incr0">
               (a)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               No person, either as owner, agent or otherwise, shall furnish, operate, conduct, maintain,
               advertise, or otherwise be engaged in or profess to be engaged in the business or
               service of emergency and/or nonemergency transportation of patients within the county
               unless the person holds a valid permit for each ambulance used in such business or
               service issued by the state department of health and human services, office of emergency
               medical services, and has been granted a franchise for the operation of such business
               or service by the county pursuant to this chapter.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (b)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               No person shall drive an ambulance, attend a patient in one, or permit one to be operated
               when transporting a patient within the county unless he holds a currently valid certificate
               as a medical responder, EMT-basic, EMT-intermediate, or EMT-paramedic issued by the
               state department of health and human services, office of emergency medical services.
               In an emergency situation, a member of local fire department can operate an EMS vehicle
               as long as the member has completed the North Carolina Emergency Vehicle Driving Course.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (c)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               No franchise shall be required for:
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (1)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               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, to facilities
               located within the county, or to pick up patients within the county for transporting
               to locations outside the county; but no such entity shall be used to pick up patients
               within the county for transporting to locations within the county or other locations
               unless it is rendering assistance to a franchised ambulance service in the case of
               a major catastrophe, mutual aid or emergency with which the services franchised by
               the county are insufficient or unable to cope as referred to in this subsection (c)(1);
               or
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (2)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               An ambulance owned and operated by the state, county or an agency of the United States
               Government.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="historynote0">
               (Ord. of 7-8-2020)
               </p></div>