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� 1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: March 19, 2002 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. <br /> SUBJECT: Non-Emergency Ambulance Transport <br /> DEPARTMENT: Emergency Management PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> 3/14/02 EM Director Report Nick Waters, ext 3030 <br /> TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br /> Hillsborough 732-8181 <br /> Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br /> Durham 688-7331 <br /> Mebane 336-227-2031 <br /> PURPOSE: To receive a report regarding the provision of non-emergency ambulance <br /> transportation services in Orange County. <br /> BACKGROUND: Under the terms of the "Ordinance Regulating Emergency Medical, First <br /> Responder, and Rescue Service and Granting of Franchises and Contracts to the Operators in <br /> the County of Orange", persons who wish to engage in the service or business of transporting <br /> patients between two points within Orange County must apply to the County for a franchise. <br /> The Emergency Management Services Department has received and reviewed an application <br /> for a franchise to provide non-emergency basic life support transportation from AAA Transport <br /> of Durham. Staff has met with the officers of AAA Transport and has investigated the <br /> information provided in the franchise application. <br /> Currently, Johnston Ambulance is the only private service franchised to provide non-emergency <br /> ambulance transportation within Orange County. As allowed by the ambulance franchise <br /> ordinance, AAA Transport of Durham has been providing ambulance transportation into and out <br /> of Orange County for more than a year. According to the owner of AAA Transport, several <br /> institutions in the County that are frequent users of ambulance transportation services have <br /> encouraged him to pursue a franchise to allow the in-county transportation of patients. AAA <br /> operates six ambulances that will be available to schedule trips within Orange County. Staff <br /> believes that the availability of these six additional ambulances should benefit Orange County <br /> citizens who need to avail themselves of this private service by providing shorter wait times for <br /> ambulances. <br /> Staff in the Department of Emergency Management Services has noted an increase in <br /> consumer complaints, particularly in the past six months, about non-emergency ambulance <br /> transportation, primarily in regard to increased wait times for service. The ambulance franchise <br /> ordinance stipulates in part that a franchise may be granted if"the proposed service will fit <br /> within the existing service so as not to adversely affect the level of service or operations of other <br />