11.070 Ambulances.

(1) Ambulances Defined.

(a) An ambulance shall include all emergency vehicles, whether publicly or privately owned, which are designed, constructed or equipped to assist and/or transport sick, disabled or injured individuals.

(b) City-owned and operated ambulances shall be exempt from the City requirements and fees under this section.

(2) Ambulance License Required. No ambulance may be operated upon the streets of the City of Manitowoc without first obtaining an ambulance license from the City Clerk. A separate license shall be required for each ambulance. Application may be made by one applicant for more than one ambulance on the same application. Each license shall be valid for a calendar year, beginning January 1st and ending December 31st. No license shall be issued until the application has been approved by the Common Council, except that the City Clerk may issue additional ambulance licenses without Common Council approval for a replacement ambulance or an ambulance added during the year for which the licensee has been approved by the Common Council, after confirmation from the Fire Chief or the Fire Chief’s designee that the ambulance meets the criteria under this section.

(3)(a) License Application. Application for an ambulance license shall be made by the owner thereof upon forms furnished by the City Clerk. Such application shall contain the full name and address of the owner, the make, model and year of manufacture, the Wisconsin State license number for the current year, engine number and factory number of the motor vehicle, a list of each attendant that will work in the City of Manitowoc and such other information as designated on the form by the City Clerk.

(b) The applicant shall complete the application form, pay the required fees to the City Treasurer, and take the application, along with proof of the Department of Transportation inspection and approval of the ambulance(s), copies of current background checks on each attendant, current State licenses for each attendant and current CPR and ACLS of each attendant to the City Fire Department.

(c) The Fire Chief or the Fire Chief’s designee shall review the application and attachments and make an initial determination as to whether or not the ambulance license should be granted and whether the attendants should be approved. If the Fire Chief’s or the Fire Chief’s designee’s initial determination is to grant the license and approve the attendants, the application shall be submitted to the Public Utilities and Licensing Committee for recommendation to the Common Council. If the Fire Chief’s or the Fire Chief’s designee’s initial determination is to deny a license or not approve an attendant, the Fire Chief or the Fire Chief’s designee shall notify the applicant by mail of said denial and reason for the denial. The applicant may appeal the determination within 30 days of the date of said notice of such denial to the Public Utilities and Licensing Committee for a hearing.

(d) All approved applicants will be issued a City license for each Department of Transportation inspected and approved ambulance, which ambulance shall contain its City license when in operation. No license is transferable. All approved attendants will be issued a City picture ID, which ID shall be on attendants at all times while on duty. All attendants replaced or added during an applicant’s approved year will be issued a City ID, after confirmation by the Fire Chief or the Fire Chief’s designee that they meet the criteria under this section.

(4) Insurance Requirements. No ambulance license shall be issued unless and until the applicant shall have filed with the City Clerk a certificate of insurance in the form satisfactory to the City Attorney demonstrating that the owner is carrying liability insurance with limits of not less than $500,000 per person and $1,000,000 per occurrence for bodily injury, and limits of not less than $50,000 per occurrence for property damage. The certificate of insurance shall further provide that the policy cannot be canceled unless 20 days’ written notice of such cancellation shall first have been personally served on or sent by registered mail to the City Clerk. Cancellation of such insurance shall be grounds for immediate revocation of all licenses of the applicant.

(5) Inspection. No ambulance shall be licensed until applicant provides proof to the Fire Chief or the Fire Chief’s designee that it has been thoroughly and carefully examined by the Department of Transportation, and found to meet all State law requirements and to be in a thoroughly satisfactory and safe condition for the transportation of passengers. The outside of the vehicle shall be well painted, varnished, clean and in good appearance and shall comply with all the other provisions of this section and any other requirement under the law. Vehicles shall be inspected by the City Fire Chief or the Fire Chief’s designee to meet Wisconsin EMS Section Wis. Admin. Code Trans 309 as amended or modified from time to time. The City Fire Chief or the Fire Chief’s designee may inspect any ambulance at any time to ensure compliance with the law. If such examination and inspection show that such vehicle does not comply with any one or more of the provisions of this section, or State law, no license shall be issued, and any current ambulance license may be revoked or suspended for noncompliance.

(6) Duties.

(a) City Clerk Duties. The City Clerk shall keep on file a copy of each ambulance license application listing the attendants operating any ambulance licensed under this section, together with the license number, description, and make of the vehicle, and a copy of the insurance certificate with the name and address of the insurance company and the date of the expiration of said insurance. The records shall be open for public inspection at all reasonable times.

(b) Fire Department Duties. The Fire Department shall maintain a file of the application with all required documentation attached verifying the ambulance has been inspected and approved by the Department of Transportation, a copy of each attendant’s background check, State licenses, CPR and ACLS of each attendant and any other pertinent information for licensing required by law or by the City of Manitowoc.

(c) Duties of Licensee. Licensee shall keep the City informed by notifying the City Clerk of changes in vehicles used as to the replacement or addition of ambulances, and of any change in attendants. All fees for additional ambulances or changes in attendants need to be paid to the City Clerk upon notification. No ambulance, nor attendant, may operate within the City of Manitowoc without prior notice, approval and payment to the City, as required under this section.

(7) Revocation, Suspension or Denial.

(a) Licenses under this section may be revoked, suspended or denied at any time by the Common Council for a violation of any of the provisions of this section, a violation of any State, Federal or local law which is substantially related to the licensed activity, or for any other valid reason. Licenses revoked, suspended or denied for failure to maintain the ambulance in a clean, safe or good appearance shall not be reissued until the ambulance is in a condition satisfactory to the City Fire Chief or the Fire Chief’s designee. If an attendant is found to be operating with an ambulance service without first obtaining approval from the City Fire Chief or the Fire Chief’s designee or a working attendant is suspended or revoked, or the ambulance in operation has no current City license or the license is suspended or revoked while ambulance is in operation, the licensee will lose the ability to operate within the City limits for a period of time not less than one year, which time shall be determined by the Public Utilities and Licensing Committee and confirmed by the Common Council. When an ambulance license is revoked or suspended, as herein provided, it shall be the duty of the City Clerk to notify the owner to cease operation immediately.

(b) Appeal. Denial of any application for an ambulance license or the denial of the approval of any attendant may be appealed by the applicant within 30 days of the date of said notice of denial. Applicant may appeal a determination by submitting a written letter requesting review of the determination and the grounds upon which the applicant contends that the decision should be modified or reversed. A request for review shall be set for a hearing before the Public Utilities and Licensing Committee, and said Committee shall serve the applicant with notice of such hearing at least 10 days prior to the hearing.

(c) Hearing Procedure. Wis. Stat. Ch. 68 is hereby incorporated into this section by reference as amended and modified from time to time, and any denial hearing shall be conducted pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 68.11, or a successor section.

(d) License Suspension or Revocation. The procedure to appeal any suspension and revocation of an ambulance license issued under this section shall be conducted in accordance with Wis. Stat. Ch. 68 and is hereby incorporated into this section by reference, as amended and modified from time to time.

(8) Fees. A fee of $30.00 per vehicle shall be the license fee for the license year or any fraction thereof, and shall be paid in advance to the City Clerk. Each attendant that is licensed with the submitted agency shall pay a fee of $10.00 per person. All fees are nonrefundable and shall not be prorated for partial years. Fees cannot be transferred.

(9) Medical Director/EMS Chief Approval. The applicant requesting licensing will provide the City’s Medical Director with an approved DHFS special event or operational plan for review. The Medical Director will make a recommendation to the City’s Public Utilities and Licensing Committee through the Fire Chief or the Fire Chief’s designee for acceptance or denial of such license application. Based on the Medical Director’s recommendation, along with the recommendation of the Fire Chief or the Fire Chief’s designee, the Public Utilities and Licensing Committee will decide to accept or deny the license as presented, and make their recommendation to the Common Council for approval.

(10) Ambulance Personnel. All ambulance attendants operating within the City limits shall be licensed to at least the level of paramedic.

(11) Penalties. Any person in violation of any provision of this section shall be subject to a forfeiture of not less than $50.00 nor more than $500.00.

[Ord. 05-651 §§ 1 – 11, 2005. Prior code § 11.041]