§ 4-2. Definitions.

For the purposes of this article, the following definitions shall apply:

(a)

Active ambulance vehicle means any private or publicly owned land or water vehicle that is designated as such by the certificate holder and authorized by the County as a permanent in-service vehicle.

(b)

Advanced life support means treatment of life-threatening medical emergencies through the use of techniques such as endotracheal intubation, the administration of drugs or intravenous fluids, telemetry, cardiac monitoring, and cardiac defibrillation by a qualified person or such other techniques as may be authorized by federal, state or local laws or regulations, as same may be amended from time to time where applicable.

(c)

Air ambulance means any fixed wing or rotary wing aircraft used for, or intended to be used for, air transportation of sick or injured persons requiring or likely to require medical attention during transport as may be authorized by federal, state or local laws or regulations, as same may be amended from time to time where applicable.

(d)

Ambulance or emergency medical services vehicle means any privately or publicly owned land or water vehicle that is designed, constructed, reconstructed, maintained, equipped, or operated for, and is used for, or intended to be used for, land or water transportation of sick or injured persons requiring or likely to require medical attention during transport as may be authorized by federal, state or local laws or regulations, as same may be amended from time to time where applicable.

(e)

Ambulance service means any service whereby a private, public or governmental entity offers to provide or provides, for compensation or as a courtesy, basic life support or advanced life support to sick or injured persons being transported from one location to another upon the streets of Miami-Dade County or in the airspace above Miami-Dade County.

(f)

Application means the form prepared by the county submitted complete with all required documentation and the appropriate fee.

(g)

Article means Article I of the Code of Miami-Dade County, Florida, and any rules, regulations and standards promulgated pursuant to this article.

(h)

Basic life support means treatment of medical emergencies by a qualified person through the use of techniques such as patient assessment, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), splinting, obstetrical assistance, bandaging, administration of oxygen, application of medical antishock trousers, administration of a subcutaneous injection using a premeasured auto injector of epinephrine to a person suffering an anaphylactic reaction, other techniques described in the Emergency Medical Technician Basic Training Course Curriculum of the United States Department of Transportation and such other techniques as may be authorized by federal, state or local laws or regulations, as same may be amended from time to time where applicable.

(i)

Certificate means a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(j)

Certificate holder or holder means any person or entity who has been issued a certificate of public convenience and necessity in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(k)

Commission means the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners.

(l)

County means Miami-Dade County, Florida.

(m)

County Manager or manager means the County Manager or his or her designee. The County Manager may designate one or more persons or county departments to administer the various provisions of this article.

(n)

First responder means any of the governmental entity fire rescue certificate holders who render all initial on-scene advanced life support or basic life support medical care to ill or injured persons including the appropriate transportation of such persons within the territorial limits or airspace of Miami-Dade County, except as provided otherwise in a countywide emergency and non-emergency ambulance service and non-emergency medical transportation vehicle service contract between one or more private ambulance providers and Miami-Dade County, or in a contract in existence as of January 1, 2000 between a municipality and an ambulance service.

(o)

Intra-county means receiving and delivering patients all within Miami-Dade County.

(p)

Person means any natural person(s), firm, partnership, association, corporation, government or other business entity.

(q)

Public interest means a determination based on the following criteria: that benefits of the ambulance services will accrue to the community, and meet the needs of the public who utilizes ambulance services, consistent with the legislative intent contained in this article.

(r)

Reserve or spare ambulance vehicle means any privately or publicly owned land or water vehicle that is designated as such by the certificate holder and authorized by the County as a temporary replacement for an active vehicle which is taken out of service due to repairs or routine maintenance.

(s)

Response time means the interval of time between the moment the certificate holder's dispatch center receives a call requesting a response to the moment the certificate holder's ambulance vehicle arrives at the requested location of the pickup. Response time for scheduled or prearranged transports shall mean the interval of time between such scheduled or prearranged pickup time and the moment the certificate holder's ambulance vehicle arrives at the requested location of the pickup. Types of requests for responses include the following:

(i)

Will Call—Requests for transports as soon as possible. Response time is calculated from the time of the request to the time of arrival at the requested location of the pickup.

(ii)

Scheduled Transport Requests made twenty-four (24) hours or more in advance of the pickup time. Response time is calculated from the scheduled pickup time to the time of arrival at the requested location of the pickup.

(iii)

Prearranged—Transport requests made less than twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the pickup time and, if necessary, the established pickup time may be negotiated between the customer and the provider. Response time is calculated from the established pickup time to the time of arrival at the requested location of the pickup.

(Ord. No. 94-93, § 2, 5-17-94; Ord. No. 01-38, § 1, 3-8-01)