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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 7471 ORDINANCE NO._71 r]l / AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 6 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH (1964) AS AMENDED, WHICH CHAPTER REGULATES THE OPERATION OF AMBULANCES, BY AMENDING SUBPARAGRAPH (m) OF SECTION 6-1 TO REDUCE THE HEAD- ROOM REQUIREMENTS FOR AN INVALID COACH; BY AMENDING SECTION 6-17 TO AUTHORIZE INCREASED RATES AND SERVICES SUBJECT TO CHARGE; BY AMENDING SECTION 6-22 TO DEFINE EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN AND ADVANCED EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN; MAKING THIS ORDINANCE CUMULATIVE OF PRIOR ORDINANCES ; REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES AND PROVISIONS OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING A PENALTY; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS : SECTION 1. That subparagraph (m) of Section 6-1 of Chapter 6 of the . Code of the City of Fort Worth (1964) , as amended, be and the same is hereby amended to reduce the headroom requirement in an invalid coach and after such reduction said subparagraph shall read as follows : " (m) Invalid coach. Any ambulance which provides space for a driver , one attendant and provides supplies for optimal patient care during transport. Such ambulance shall be designed and constructed to afford maximum safety and comfort, to avoid aggra- vation of the patient ' s condition, and exposure to complications and threat to survival . The patient section of such ambulance shall have not less than thirty-seven (37) inches of headroom measured from the floorboard upon which the cot rests twelve (12) inches from each side of the centerline of the vehicle. Such section shall be not less than eighty-four (84) inches in length and shall have not less than forty-eight (48) inches of usable floor width. Such ambulance shall be equipped with neither warning nor signal devices, except the stock organic vehicle horn. The term ' invalid coach ' includes ' transfer vehicle. '" SECTION 2. That Section 6-17 of Chapter 6 of the Code of the City of Fort Worth (1964) , as amended, be and the same is hereby amended to read as follows: "Sec. 6-17. Rates established "No operator shall exceed the maximum rates established by the following schedule: " (a) Base fee for transporting each person (one (1) person) to a hospital or other destination-Forty- two dollars ($42.00) ; " (b) Base fee for transporting each person (one (1) person) to a hospital or other destination if paid within seven (7) days of date service rendered-Thirty-five dollars ($35.00) ; " (c) Charge for waiting in excess of fifteen (15) minutes after initial fifteen (15) minutes - Five dollars ($5.00) per one- half (1/2) hour; " (d) Charge for each unfounded request for service - Fifteen dollars ($15.00) ; " (e) Administration of oxygen - each person - (one (1) person) Five dollars ($5.00) ; " (f) Defibriliation and EKG charge - Ten dollars ($10.00) ; " (g) A separate charge is authorized and will be made for all disposable items (except bandages, dressings and tape) based upon replacement charge at the destination - cost as stated. "Total charges for equivalent service shall be equally divided among those patients transported simultaneously. "The collection of charges shall be the sole responsibility of the operator. " SECTION 3. That Section 6-22 of Chapter 6 of the Code of the City of Fort Worth (1964) , as amended, be and the same is hereby amended -2- to read as follows : "Each applicant for registration as an ambulance driver or attendant in the City shall be able to speak, read, and write the English language. Each applicant shall receive a physical examination by the Health Officer to determine that he is of sound physique, possesses good eyesight and hearing, is not subject to epilepsy, vertigo, heart trouble or infirmity of body or mind and is not addicted to the use of drugs or intoxicating liquors so as to render him unfit to perform the duties of driver or attendant. Such examination shall include a blood test and a chest x-ray. Each applicant shall furnish satisfactory proof that he is a person of good moral character. Each applicant shall furnish proof that completed Red Cross training as required by the Health Officer, and a six (6) hours American Heart Association course in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, and such proof must be certified by the Health Officer. All applicants for ambulance attendant must also furnish proof of satisfactory completion of the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) basic Personnel Training Course. "Pending initiation of the next available training course for Emergency Medical Technicians, the Health Officer may issue temporary permits for ambulance attendants . "An Emergency Medical Technician, also known as EMT or EMT-Ambulance, is one who has been successfully trained for administering basic life support to the acutely ill or seriously injured patient. An Advanced Emergency Medical Technician, also known as A-EMT, Paramedic or EMT-Paramedic, is one who has successfully completed training for administering advanced life support to the acutely ill or seriously injured. Proof of satisfactory completion of the two levels of training shall be certified by the Health Officer . Neither the Emergency Medical Technician nor the Advanced Emergency Medical Technician shall be required to maintain a current American Red Cross certificate but they shall be required to satisfactorily complete refresher courses in their category at no greater than two-year intervals . "Each applicant for an ambulance driver ' s registration shall be the holder of a current chauffeur ' s license issued by the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas . " SECTION 4. That this Ordinance shall be cumulative of all provisions of the Code of the City of Fort Worth (1964) , as amended, and all other ordinances of the City of Fort Worth regarding regulation of -3- the operation of ambulances, except in those instances where the provisions of this ordinance are in direct conflict with the provisions of such Code or such ordinances, in which instances said conflicting provisions of such Code and such ordinances are hereby repealed. SECTION 5 . That it is hereby declared to be the intention of the City Council that the sections, paragraphs, sentences , clauses and phrases of this ordinance are severable, and if any phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section of this ordinance shall be declared void, ineffective or unconstitutional by the valid judgment or final decree of a court of competent jurisdiction, such voidness , in- effectiveness or unconstitutionality shall not affect any of the remaining phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and sections of this ordinance, since the same would have been enacted by the City Council without the incorporation herein of any such void, ineffective or unconstitutional phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section. SECTION 6. That any person violating any of the provisions of this ordinance shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and each such person shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for each day or portion thereof during which any violation of any of the provisions of this ordinance are committed, continued or permitted, and each violation shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed two hundred dollars ($200.00) . SECTION 7 . That this ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after the date of its passage and publication as -4- required by law, and it is so ordained. APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY: 04 Fog + '0 S . G. JOHNDROE, JR. , City Attorney Adopted: J,.nu raj !,,, 1977 Effective: -5- City of Fort Worth, Texas UNE BAILIFR Mayor and Council Communication GRAHAM DATE REFERENCE SUBJECT: Amendments to Chapter 6 of the PAGE GARRET 1/10/77 NUMBER G-3267 City Code Regulating Ambulances Iof 2 BkADSHAW Attached is a proposed ordinance amending Chapter 6 of the City code, which chapter regulates the operation of ambulances. The amendments occur in: Subparagraph(m) of Section 6-1 which allows a reduction in head room require- ments for an invalid coach; Section 6-17 authorizing an increase rates and listing services subject to charge; Section 6-22 which defines an emergency medical technician and an advanced emergency medical technician. Subparagraph(m) of Section 6-1 prescribes the dimensions of invalid coaches. Invalid Coaches are non-emergency vehicles used to transfer invalids and remains between hospitals, rest homes, residences, mortuarys, etc. The vehicle head room reductions will not require operators to purchase special vehicles or require expensive vehicle conversions. Dimension requirements will remain as they currently exist for emergency vehicles. On May 5, 1975, the City Council authorized the current maximum rates to by charged for City-wide ambulance services (M&C G-2696) . These rates apply to all ambulance companies permitted to operate in the City of ForL Worth. The current and proposed rates are as follows: Current Proposed a. 1. Base fee for transporting one person $35.00 $42.00 2. Charge for Additional patient 30.00 N/A 3. Charge for Third patient 25.00 N/A b. Base fee for transporting one person if paid within 7 days of date of service N/A 35.00 c. Waiting time, per half-hour 5.00 5.00 d. Unfounder Service charge 15.00 15.00 e. Oxygen 5.00 5.00 f. Defibrilation and EKG Charge N/A 10.00 g. A separate charge is authorized and will be made for all disposable items (except bandages, dressings and tape) based upon replacement charge at the destination - cost as stated. As required As reported in M&C G-3085(dated June 21, 1976) the EMS Committee recommended that the base fee for ambulance services be increased to $50. The EMS Committee made that recommendation because of the anticipated cost increases for upgrading personnel and equipment. However, because of the unavailability Al DATE REFERENCE SUBJECT: Amendments to Chapter 6 of the PAGE NUMBER City Code Regulation Ambulances 2 2 1/'10/77 G-3267 of of advanced equipment, the full range of paramedic services will not be offered until later in 1977. Consequently, staff believes a reduced base fee is appropriate. Then, at the time this equipment is operational and being used by both the hospitals and ambulance personnel, staff will request an adjustment in ambulance fees. The EMS Committee, at its meeting on December 29, 1976 reviewed these charges and concurs with the proposed $42 fee. As indicated in the proposed schedule of charges, an allowance for a reduced fee is proposed when payment is made within seven days of date service received. Most ambulance companies report that immediate requests for payment normally increase the rate of collection. Some operators have said that their rate of collection is upwards of 70% or better by collecting for service at the time the ambulance arrives at the scene. Because the nature of the City's busi- ness precludes such a practice in many instances, it is believed that this recommended adjustment would be more appropriate and should increase, the ' Contractor's collection rate. The impact of this change will be evaluated during the next several months with results reported to the City Council at the time adjustment is requested for ambulance charges. In addition, it is proposed to delete the reduced charges for carrying addi- tional patients. Review of this allowance indicated that the charge for service should be related more closely to the cost of providing personal services and not to the cost of providing transportation. In addition, the number of times multiple patient carriage has occurred is so infrequent that provision for it in the fee schedule is unnecessary. Recommendation It is recommended that the City Council approve the attached ordinance amending Chapter 6 of the Code of the City of Fort Worth. JMT:jc Attachment SUBMITTED BY: DISPOSITION BY COUNCIL: P!9.QKSSED BY ❑ APPROVED f ❑ OTHER (DESCRIBE) V,/� CITY SECRETARY DATE CITY MANAGER A fp �. 1 10--7-7 O�� T tl� ��de` 5'