5.72.010 Definitions.
A. “Advanced life support” or “ALS” means invasive emergency medical services requiring advanced medical treatment skills as defined in Chapter 18.71 RCW.
B. “Ambulance” means any privately or publicly owned vehicle that is especially designed, constructed, equipped, maintained and used for transporting any sick or injured person from the scene of any accident or disaster or emergency situation to or from a hospital, clinic or other location where professional medical care is available. The word “ambulance” may not be used, in part or in its entirety, by any vehicle except as herein defined.
C. “Ambulance attendant, emergency medical technician” means an individual, including drivers, certified and approved as required in this chapter.
D. “Ambulance service/company” means any person who operates an ambulance within the city of Everett which meets standards as described in this chapter which repeatedly conveys injured or sick patients. “Ambulance service/company” shall also include:
1. Any person, corporation or other legal entity who operates an ambulance for hire which:
a. Is stationed within the corporate limits of the city;
b. Is dispatched from within or without the corporate limits of the city and repeatedly or customarily makes trips for hire within the city to pick up injured or sick fares; or
c. Makes any trips into the city for hire to pick up injured or sick fares after occasional or repeated advertising, within the city, for such service; provided, that the provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any ambulance which shall pass through the city in the delivery of fares picked up at points beyond the corporate limits of the city.
2. “Primary ambulance company” means a private ambulance company which has a contract with the city pursuant to this chapter undertaking to effect transportation of patients by referral of the city and which maintains at least one fully equipped, manned and operable ambulance within the city at all times.
E. “Basic life support” or “BLS” means noninvasive emergency medical services requiring basic medical treatment skills as defined in Chapter 18.73 RCW.
F. “City” means the city of Everett.
G. “City emergency medical services director (medical director)” means that individual designated as advisor for the city’s emergency medical services program as set forth in this chapter.
H. “Emergency” means the sudden onset of a medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of such severity (including severe pain) that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in any of the following:
1. Placing the patient’s health in serious jeopardy;
2. Serious impairment to bodily functions; or
3. Serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part.
I. “Emergency medical service” or “EMS” means medical treatment and care that may be rendered at the scene of any medical emergency or while transporting any patient in an ambulance to an appropriate medical facility, including ambulance transportation between medical facilities.
J. “Emergency medical technician” or “EMT” means a person who is certified as such by the Secretary, pursuant to Chapter 18.73 RCW and regulations promulgated thereunder.
K. “EMS member” means a city resident or an employee who is working on business premises of an EMS levy tax paying business located in the city or in any jurisdiction for which the city has assumed contractual EMS responsibility, who has agreed to the EMS membership terms.
L. “Emergency paramedic/aid unit” means any city-owned and city-operated vehicle that is equipped and may be used for transporting any sick or injured person from the scene of any accident or disaster or emergency situation to a hospital, clinic or other location where professional medical care is available.
M. “Fire chief” means the city’s fire chief or his/her duly authorized designee. “Fire department” means the fire department of the city.
N. “License director” means the city clerk.
O. “Paramedic” means a person who is certified as such by the Secretary, pursuant to Chapter 18.73 RCW and regulations promulgated thereunder.
P. “Patient” means an individual who is sick, injured, wounded or otherwise incapacitated or helpless and in need of or receiving medical treatment, including trauma care.
Q. “Person” means any individual, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company, or group of individuals, acting together for a common purpose or organization of any kind, including the city, any other governmental agency except the United States of America, the state of Washington, or Snohomish County.
R. “Resident” means those persons who have their primary residence within the boundaries of the city of Everett or within the boundaries of a jurisdiction imposing an EMS levy and with which the city has contracted for emergency medical services.
S. “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Washington State Department of Health.
T. “Transport” means the use of an emergency paramedic/aid unit to carry any sick or injured person from the scene of any accident or disaster or emergency situation to a hospital, clinic or other location where professional medical care is available. (Ord. 2792-04 § 2, 2004; Ord. 2308-98 § 1, 1998.)