Chapter 14

EMERGENCY SERVICES*
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* Cross References: Civil emergencies, Ch. 12.
State Law References: Authority to provide ambulance and emergency rescue services, Ga. Const. art. 9, sec. 2, par. 3(3).
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Article I. In General
Sec. 14-1. Names of streets, roads, and rights-of-way.
Secs. 14-2--14-25. Reserved.

Article II. Ambulance Department
Sec. 14-26. Established.
Sec. 14-27. County administrator to develop policies and procedures.
Sec. 14-28. Advanced life support certification.
Sec. 14-29. Affected services.
Sec. 14-30. General operations regulations.
Sec. 14-31. Indemnification.
Secs. 14-32--14-50. Reserved.

Article III. Emergency Telephone Service
Sec. 14-51. Imposition of charge.
Sec. 14-52. Collection of charge.
Sec. 14-53. Telephone subscriber's liability for charge.
Sec. 14-54. Collection of administrative fee.
Sec. 14-55. Deposit of charges to separate fund.
Sec. 14-56. Accounting to comply with statute.
Sec. 14-57. Provisions incorporated by reference.
Sec. 14-58. Effective date.
Sec. 14-59. Annual review.
Sec. 14-60. Charge applied to cellular/wireless facilities.

ARTICLE I.

IN GENERAL

Sec. 14-1. Names of streets, roads, and rights-of-way.

(a) The names of all new streets, roads and rights-of-way shall be approved by the E-911 director before the same is voted upon and approved by the county commission.

(b) This section shall become effective on the date that a like resolution is approved by the Cities of Jesup, Screven and Odum.
(Res. of 12-20-94)

Secs. 14-2--14-25. Reserved.

ARTICLE II.

AMBULANCE DEPARTMENT

Sec. 14-26. Established.

The Wayne County Ambulance Service shall become the Wayne County Ambulance Department with all fulltime employees being compensated on a salaried basis and subject to all rules, regulations, and benefits of county employees. The ambulance department shall continue to work in conjunction with Wayne Memorial Hospital personnel in providing emergency medical service within the hospital when feasible. It is the desire of the board of commissioners that the hospital personnel also continue to assist the ambulance department personnel in their duties when requested. This cooperation between medical personnel will insure the citizens of the county prompt and professional emergency medical service.
(Res. of 11-1-77)

Sec. 14-27. County administrator to develop policies and procedures.

The county administrator shall develop policies and procedures which shall govern duty time, call time, and daily operating procedures of the ambulance department. Such policies and procedures will supercede all policies heretofore applicable to ambulance service employees.
(Res. of 11-1-77)

Sec. 14-28. Advanced life support certification.

(a) The purpose of this section is to ensure that the citizens of the county will be afforded the best available emergency medical transportation in all circumstances.

(b) All ambulances and emergency medical vehicles which operate in the county shall be certified for advanced life support by the state department of human resources.

(c) Any person convicted of a violation of this section shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $1,000.00 or 60 days imprisonment, or both. Each day any violation continues shall be a separate offense.
(Ord. of 3-6-95, §§ 1--3)

Sec. 14-29. Affected services.

(a) Application. This section and sections 14-30 and 14-31 shall apply to any ambulance service, except those listed below, which is located within the county or whose services are offered to county residents.

(b) Exempt services. Exempt emergency medical services are:

(1) An ambulance service operated by an agency of the United States government, or

(2) A vehicle operated by an individual who is not licensed to furnish emergency medical services and who is rendering assistance temporarily, such as in the case of a major catastrophe or emergency, or

(3) An ambulance service which is based in another county, and which is returning county residents to the county from any other county.
(Ord. of 2-19-97; Ord. of 3-3-97
Editors Note: An ordinance of February 19, 1997 did not specifically amend the Code; hence inclusion herein as § 14-29--14-31 was at the discretion of the editor.

Sec. 14-30. General operations regulations.

(a) General compliance. All ambulance services, vehicles and personnel shall at all times be operated in compliance with all laws, rules, regulations, orders and decrees of the State of Georgia and Wayne County.

(b) Base station. Every ambulance service offering services to residents of the county must have a permanent base of operations located within the county.

(c) Hours of operation. Every ambulance service offering services to residents of the county must provide said services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

(d) Staffing. Every ambulance service offering services to residents of the county shall have at least two qualified and certified personnel on duty and available to answer calls for assistance, at all times. At least one of these individuals must be certified as a paramedic or a cardiac technician, or the equivalent as provided by Georgia law.

(e) Vehicles. All vehicles operated by any ambulance service offering services to residents of the county shall be equipped to provide advanced life support at all times.

(f) Dispatch by E911. Any ambulance service offering service to residents of the county by receiving calls through E911 will share in the cost of operating the E911 emergency system. The county has determined that ten percent of the cost of operating the E911 emergency system is attributed to ambulance service in the county. Therefore, any ambulance service offering the aforesaid services shall share equally with all other ambulance services, including the county-operated ambulance service, ten percent of the cost of operating the E911 emergency system. Such amounts shall be determined by the county and billed to each such

ambulance service on a monthly basis. Said ambulance service shall remit payment to the county within ten days of receipt of such statement. Failure to remit such monies to the county within the time specified shall be considered a violation of this section.
(Ord. of 2-19-97)
Note: See editor's note, § 14-29.

Sec. 14-31. Indemnification.

Any person, firm or corporation owning or operating a private business providing ambulance service within the county shall indemnify and hold harmless the county and any resident of the county for any loss or damage resulting from the operations of the ambulance service.
(Ord. of 2-19-97)
Note: See editor's note, § 14-29.

Secs. 14-32--14-50. Reserved.

ARTICLE III.

EMERGENCY TELEPHONE SERVICE

Sec. 14-51. Imposition of charge.

By virtue of the authority vested in the board of commissioners by law, and pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 46-5-134 that there be and hereby is imposed a monthly 911 charge of $1.50 upon each exchange access facility subscribed to by telephone subscribers whose exchange access lines are in the areas served or which will be served by 911 service in the county, except exchange access facilities billed to federal, state or local governments.
(Res. of 11-19-90)

Sec. 14-52. Collection of charge.

Each service provider serving the county shall, on behalf of the county, collect the 911 charge from those subscribers to whom it provides exchange telephone service in the county and shall list such 911 charge as a separate entry on each bill.
(Res. of 11-19-90)

Sec. 14-53. Telephone subscriber's liability for charge.

Every telephone subscriber in the area to be served by the emergency 911 system shall be liable for the 911 charge imposed under this resolution until it has been paid to the service provider.
(Res. of 11-19-90)

Sec. 14-54. Collection of administrative fee.

Each service supplier that collects 911 charges on behalf of the county is entitled to retain, as an administrative fee, an amount equal to three percent of the gross 911 charge receipts to be remitted to the county and shall remit the remaining sums quarterly to the county no later than sixty days after the close of the calendar quarter.
(Res. of 11-19-90)

Sec. 14-55. Deposit of charges to separate fund.

The 911 charges collected and remitted to the county shall be deposited and accounted for in a separate restricted revenue fund to be known as the "Emergency Telephone System Fund."
(Res. of 11-19-90)

Sec. 14-56. Accounting to comply with statute.

The 911 charges collected shall be accounted for and expended only as provided in O.C.G.A. § 46-5-134.
(Res. of 11-19-90)

Sec. 14-57. Provisions incorporated by reference.

(a) The definitions set out in O.C.G.A. § 46-5-122 are incorporated by reference and made a part hereof.

(b) The provisions of O.C.G.A. § 46-5-120 et seq., as amended, known as the "Georgia Emergency Telephone Number 911 Service Act of 1977" are incorporated by reference and made a part hereof.
(Res. of 11-19-90)

Sec. 14-58. Effective date.

This resolution shall become effective on April 1, 1991, at which time each service provider serving the county shall commence collection of the 911 charge on each exchange.
(Res. of 11-19-90)

Sec. 14-59. Annual review.

The 911 charge shall be reviewed and adjusted at the end of each fiscal year in accordance with and upon the conditions set forth in O.C.G.A. § 36-5-134(d)(3).
(Res. of 11-19-90)

Sec. 14-60. Charge applied to cellular/wireless facilities.

The board of commissioners does hereby intend to place the monthly enhanced 911 charge on each cellular/wireless exchange access facility, whose billing address is within Wayne County.

The amount of said charge shall be $1.00 per month per cellular/wireless exchange access facility with a billing address within Wayne County. This $1.00 charge shall remain in effect until which time phase II of the cellular/wireless plan has begun; at this time, the amount of said charge shall be $1.50 per month per cellular/wireless exchange access facility with a billing address within Wayne County.
(Res. of 7-9-01; Res. of 11-5-01)
Editors Note: A resolution adopted July 9, 2001 enacted provisions which were not specifically amendatory of the Code; this resolution was subsequently amended by a resolution adopted November 5, 2001, also not specifically amendatory of the Code. For purposes of classification, these provisions have been added as a new § 14-60 at the discretion of the editor.