§ 4-27. Ambulance license—Required.

(a)

No person, either as owner, agent or otherwise, shall furnish, operate, conduct, maintain, advertise or otherwise be engaged in, or profess to be engaged in, the business or service of the transportation of patients upon the streets, alleys or any public way or place of the city, unless he holds a currently valid license for an ambulance, and for each such ambulance so operated, issued pursuant to this article. An ambulance operated by, or on a mission pursuant to a contract with an agency of the United States which contract existed on the effective date of Ordinance No. 1406, shall not be required to be licensed hereunder.

(b)

Licenses for no more than ten (10) ambulances shall be issued for the operation of ambulances within the limits of this city, this being a number in excess of those lawfully in operation. The number of ambulances for which licenses may be issued for operation within the city limits shall be regulated, from time to time, by the city council, which shall determine, from time to time, the number of ambulances which are necessary and convenient for the city.

(c)

In the event the owner or operator of an ambulance ceases to operate or fails to report operation of such ambulance for a period of thirty (30) days, as required by section 4-37 hereof, the owner shall lose or forfeit his license after written notice given him by the city of such forfeiture.

(d)

No ambulance shall be operated for ambulance purposes, and no individual shall drive, attend or permit it to be operated for such purposes on the streets, alleys, or any public way or place of the city unless it shall be under the immediate supervision and direction of a person who is holding a currently valid license as an attendant/driver or attendant.

(e)

Provided however, that no such licenses shall be required for an ambulance or for the driver, attendant or attendant/driver of an ambulance:

(1)

Which is rendering assistance to licensed ambulances in the case of a major catastrophe or emergency with which the licensed ambulances of the city are insufficient or unable to cope; or is

(2)

Operated from a location or headquarters outside of the city in order to transport patients who are picked up beyond the limits of the city to locations within the city.

(Code 1963, § 4½-2)

State law reference

State license and permit required, Miss. Code Ann. 1972, § 41-59-9.