By Aberdeen Insider - February 26, 2026 in ORDINANCE NO. 26-02-11
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 20 – EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT AND SERVICES OF THE ABERDEEN CITY CODE REGARDING PRIVATE AMBULANCE SERVICE
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Aberdeen is charged with protecting the health, safety, and property of its citizens; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that the following ordinance will protect the health, safety, and property of its citizens.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF ABERDEEN THAT THE FOLLOWING CHANGES AND ADDITIONS SHALL BE MADE TO THE ABERDEEN CITY CODE:
- Division 2 of Article III, Ambulance Service, of Chapter 20 – EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND SERVICES is hereby amended with strikethrough indicating text to be deleted, underline indicating text to be added, and the remainder of the Chapter to be left unaffected:
Sec. 20-74. Definitions.
The following definitions shall apply to all terms used in this article unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
Ambulance means any privately or publicly owned motor vehicle that is specifically designed or constructed, and equipped, and is intended to be used for and is maintained or operated for the ground transportation of patients.
Attendant means a trained and/or qualified individual responsible for the operation of an ambulance and the care of patients whether or not the attendant also serves as driver.
Attendant-driver means a person who is qualified as an attendant and a driver.
Driver means an individual who drives an ambulance.
Fire chief means the fire chief or other designated official and includes city fire and rescue employees certified to provide emergency medical services.
Health officer means the city health officer or other designated official.
Patient means an individual who is sick, injured, wounded, or otherwise incapacitated or helpless and who requires an attendant.
Person means any individual, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company, group of individuals acting together for a common purpose, or organization of any kind, including any governmental agency other than the United States.
Sec. 20-75. Licensing of ambulance service.
Any person required by the state to be licensed as a ground ambulance service and that wishes to operate such ambulance service within the corporate limits of the city shall first be licensed pursuant to this article and pay all applicable fees. No ambulance service shall be operated in the city unless the ambulance service has a currently valid license from the city to provide such service.
Sec. 20-76. Exemption from license requirement.
The following are exempt from the provisions of this article:
(1) An ambulance service operated by the city fire department;
(2) An ambulance service based outside the city in which either the patient pickup or delivery is conducted outside of the city.
Sec. 20-77. License; appeal.
(a) Issuance. The finance officer is authorized to approve the license application of any ambulance service making such application and paying the necessary fees upon a finding of public convenience and necessity. A license issued under this article shall be valid for the period of the license issued by the state unless earlier suspended, revoked, terminated, or surrendered.
(b) Application. An application for an ambulance service license shall be made upon the forms as prescribed by the finance officer and shall include a complete copy of the most current application, including all requested information, submitted by applicant to the state department or agency charged with issuing licenses for ambulance services. The finance officer may require such other information as deemed reasonably necessary to a fair determination of compliance with this article.
(c) Appeal. Appeal by the applicant from the decision of the finance officer to deny the license may be made to the city council upon request filed with the finance officer within 20 days of such decision.
Sec. 20-78. Proof of state licenses and inspections.
Prior to the issuance of any ambulance service license, the applicant shall provide proof of all licenses issued by the state regulating the operation of ambulance services and the most current inspection records by any state department or agency charged with overseeing ambulance services certifying the ambulances, equipment, and premises designated in each application hereunder.
Sec. 20-79. Reserved.
Sec. 20-80. Compliance with rules and regulations.
Each ambulance service licensed under this article shall comply with all federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and ordinances governing the operation of ambulance services, including patient care and transport, personnel, record keeping, medical and maintenance equipment, sanitary conditions, and necessary supplies.
Sec. 20-81. Business name on ambulances.
Each ambulance shall be clearly marked with the licensee’s business name as registered with any state department or agency overseeing ambulance service, such mark to include the insignia, name, monogram, or other distinguishing characteristics used to designate the ambulance service.
Sec. 20-82. Reserved.
Sec. 20-84. License nontransferable.
Any ambulance service license sold, assigned, mortgaged, or otherwise transferred without the approval of the city council and a finding of conformance with all the requirements of this article as upon original licensing shall terminate the license. Any change of ownership or transfer of a licensed ambulance service shall require a new application and a new license and conformance with all the requirements of this article as upon original licensing.
Sec. 20-85. Equipment, premises, and records to be available for inspection.
Each licensed ambulance service, its ambulances and equipment, the premises designated in the application, and all records relating to maintenance and operation as an ambulance service shall be open to inspection by the health officer, the fire chief, the finance officer, or their designated representative during usual hours of operation.
Sec. 20-86. Suspension, revocation, or termination of license.
(a) The city council may and is authorized to suspend or revoke an ambulance service license issued hereunder for failure of a licensee to comply and to maintain compliance with or for his or her violation of any applicable provisions, standards, or requirements of this article or of regulations promulgated hereunder, or of any other applicable laws or ordinances or regulations promulgated thereunder, but only after warning and such reasonable time for compliance as may be set by the city council.
(b) Upon suspension, revocation, termination, or surrender of an ambulance service license issued by the state or city, the ambulance service shall cease operations as such and no person shall permit the ambulance service to continue operations.
Sec. 20-90. Refusal of service.
After having responded to any call for ambulance service, an ambulance service licensed under this article shall not refuse the service for any reason except where aid is declined by the prospective patient or for other reasons beyond the control of the licensee.
Sec. 20-91. Going to scene of accident without request.
An ambulance service licensed under this article shall not go to the scene of any accident unless a request for ambulance service has been directed to the operator or driver of the ambulance or to the place from which the ambulance operates or the ambulance happens upon the accident scene by chance.
- Severability. The provisions of this ordinance are severable. If any provision of this ordinance or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held to be invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this ordinance which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.
- Effective Date. The City Finance Officer shall cause this ordinance to be published in the official newspaper in clean text with all deletions and additions incorporated therein and footnotes omitted. This ordinance shall become effective twenty (20) days after the completed publication, unless the referendum is invoked.
/s/ Travis Schaunaman, Mayor, ATTEST: /s/ Jordan McQuillen, Finance Officer
Published once on February 26, 2026, at the total approximate cost of $90.17 and may be viewed free of charge at www.sdpublicnotices.com and www.aberdeeninsider.com