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<br />An Ordinance Re ug lating Emergency Medical First Responder and Rescue Services and <br />Granting Franchise and Contracts to the Operators in the County of Orange adopted April <br />20 1993 (the "Franchise Ordinance") <br />The Medical Services Act requires each county in North Carolina to "ensure that emergency <br />medical services are provided to its citizens."9 State law further authorizes the County to <br />enact a franchise ordinance for ambulance services in the County.10 On March 1, 1981, the <br />Orange County Board of Commissioners adopted "An Ordinance Regulating the Operation <br />of Ambulance Services and the Administration of Emergency Medical Assistance in Orange <br />County, North Carolina" which provides for the franchising of ambulance services in Orange <br />County. This ordinance was later repealed and on April 20, 1993, the Board adopted the <br />current ordinance, An Ordinance Regulating Emergency Medical, First Responder, and <br />Rescue Services and Granting Franchise and Contracts to the Operators in the County of <br />Orange ("the Franchise Ordinance"). The purpose of the Franchise Ordinance is to govern <br />"the granting of franchises for emergency services and other prehospital emergency medical <br />services." <br />The Franchise Ordinance provides upon application and public hearing the Board may grant <br />a franchise for ambulance, first responder or rescue services if the County finds: <br />(a) The applicant meets county/state standards outlined in the franchise ordinance. <br />(b) The proposed service will fit within the existing services so as not to adversely affect <br />the level of service or operations of other franchisees to render services. <br />(c) A need exists for the rendered service in order to improve the level of service <br />available to residents of the County helping to ensure the provision of adequate and <br />continuing service which preserves, protects, and promotes the public health safety <br />and welfare and that granting the franchise is a cost effective and reasonable manner <br />of meeting the need.ll <br />The Franchise Ordinance also provides for a five year term for a franchise agreement <br />approved pursuant to it and the notice requirements for a franchise holder to surrender the <br />franchise to the County. The Franchise Ordinance indicates the Office of Emergency <br />Management (now ES) is the body responsible for enforcement of the Ordinance, including <br />9 G.S. § 143-517 <br />10 G.S. § 153A-250 <br />" Operation of Ambulance Services and the Administration of Emergency Medical Assistance, Section VI. 6.4 <br />Page 3 of 7 <br />