§ 42-71. Definitions.

A used in this article, the following words and terms shall have the meanings assigned herein:

Addendum to annual emergency medical services non-ad valorem assessment or addendum means and shall refer to the list prepared by the county public safety department, and confirmed by the board (as defined herein) each fiscal year, containing the same information as the EMS non-ad valorem assessment roll (as defined herein) as to any parcels of improved real property (as defined herein) not incorporated on the corresponding roll and incorporating any changes as to the information specified for any parcel of improved real property on the corresponding roll.

Advanced life support or ALS means treatment of life-threatening emergencies through the use of techniques such as endotracheal intubation, the administration of drugs, intravenous fluids, telemetry, cardiac monitoring and cardiac defibrillation, by a qualified person. Any additional skills, techniques and/or procedures may be performed as authorized in writing by the applicable agency's medical director (as defined herein). Such authorizations must be forwarded to the county public safety department for record keeping.

Advanced life support or ALS service means any emergency medical transport or non-transport service which uses advanced life support techniques as defined in this article.

Ambulance means a vehicle specially designed and equipped as defined in F.S. § 401.23.

Baker Act means F.S. § 394.451 et seq., and respective revisions and amendments as may occur from time to time.

Basic life support or BLS means treatment of life-threatening medical emergencies by a qualified person through the use of techniques such as patient assessment, basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation, splinting, obstetrical assistance, bandaging, administration of oxygen, application of medical or anti-shock trousers and other techniques described in the emergency medical technician basic training course curriculum of the United States Department of Transportation. Basic life support also includes esophageal intubation if the emergency medical technician also referred to as EMT (as defined herein); performing the intubation has been trained in the skill of esophageal intubation and is performing the intubation under the medical direction of a licensed physician. The administration and use of an automatic or semi-automatic external defibrillator (AED) may be utilized by an agency meeting all required rules and statues governing the AED's administration and use, and provided the EMT is trained in these skills. The administration, monitoring and maintenance of non-medicated intravenous fluid may be performed by an EMT if such a person is trained in these skills and has the written authorization of that agency's medical director filed with the county. Any additional skills, techniques and/or procedures may be performed as authorized in writing by the applicable agency's medical director. Such authorization must be forwarded to the county public safety department for record keeping.

Basic life support service or BLS service also means an emergency medical transport service which uses BLS techniques.

Benefit unit(s) means and refers to the countywide, EMS ambulance services unit(s) as described in this chapter.

Board means and shall refer to the board of county commissioners of the county.

Certificate means a certificate of public convenience and necessity (COPCN) issued pursuant to this article.

Communications center means the reporting and dispatching center for emergency operations and 911 communications center as designated by the manager (as defined herein).

Cost means the total recommended cost of emergency medical service applying to the benefit unit minus applicable, as determined by the EMS review committee (as defined herein), third party payment.

County means the incorporated and unincorporated areas of the county.

Director means and shall refer to the director of the county fire rescue department.

Department means and shall refer to the Brevard County Fire Rescue Department.

Emergency call means the response and/or mitigation of an EMS provider to the scene of a reported medical emergency and/or when a medical emergency arises during transport under conditions that warrant travel with flashing lights and sirens operating pursuant to the request of the communication center, a public safety agency or as otherwise provided by rules and regulations to be promulgated pursuant to this article.

Emergency medical services or EMS means for the purpose of this article and the EMS non-ad valorem assessment as those services for which certificates are issued by this article and are routinely provided by or contracted to another ALS transport service, and/or a first responder (non-transport) program(s), approved and/or contracted by the county for the purpose of responding to and mitigating "emergency call(s)" (as defined herein). First responder programs/agencies not approved as a county first responder component are excluded from this article, except as section 42-92 applies to such.

EMS advisory council or council means the county EMS advisory council, a cross-section of the EMS community established by this article in section 42-88 and empowered by the board to explore all areas of the EMS system for the county and to make recommendations and plans to improve EMS in the county. This is a separate and independent council from the EMS review committee.

EMS review committee means the appointed body established to propose or review all regulations promulgated pursuant to this article and submitted to the board and to review allegation of violations of this article. When possible, membership should be drawn from health care related fields with preference for individuals who have experience in pre-hospital emergency related services, or secondarily, from the general business community.

EMS non-ad valorem assessment means the annual emergency medical services non-ad valorem assessment charged against the owner of a unit, lot or parcel of improved real property for the availability of emergency medical services (as defined herein) during the applicable fiscal year based upon the classification of such unit, lot or parcel of property as specified in the rate resolution (as defined herein). For the purposes of this article the transportation and associated care of Marchman (as defined herein), formerly known as Myers, and Baker Act (as defined herein) patients shall be considered an emergency medical service. Further, if the county board of commissioners deems it appropriate, this non-ad valorem assessment may be utilized to support a county adopted first responder program.

EMS special assessment roll means and shall refer to the emergency medical services list prepared annually by the county public safety department and confirmed by the board each fiscal year containing a summary description of each parcel of improved real property within the county, the name and address of the owner of each unit, lot or parcel as indicated on the records maintained by the county property appraiser (as defined herein), the rate classification applicable to each parcel of improved real property as specified in the rate resolution and the amount of EMS special assessment applicable to each parcel of improved real property.

EMT or emergency medical technician means any person employed by an agency certified under F.S. ch. 401, who is trained in basic life support and who is certified to perform such procedures in emergency situations in accordance with state law.

First responder program, for the purposes of this chapter, means a county approved agency which provides advanced BLS or ALS levels of service.

Fiscal year means and shall refer to the fiscal year applicable to the county government, such fiscal year beginning on the first day of October of each year and ending on the thirtieth day of September of the following year.

Improved real property means and shall refer to all improved real property located in the county that contains buildings, structures or other improvements.

Interfacility transfer means the transportation of a patient by a medical transportation service as may be provided by Florida Statutes, Florida Administrative Code and standards, rules and regulations promulgated by the board.

Interfacility transport services has the meaning defined in F.S. ch. 401.23, and Administrative Code, Chapter 64E. Any board approved emergency medical transportation service provider shall be permitted, subject to the rights of franchise holders authorized pursuant to this article and Chapter 71-556, Laws of Florida, to provide interfacility transport services.

Levels of service means emergency medical service (EMS) levels of service, as set by the board, based on recommendations promulgated by the county public safety department and the EMS advisory council, and as such are applicable to agencies providing ALS and BLS services and regulated by the certificate process.

Manager means the county manager or his or her designee.

Marchman Act means F.S. § 397.301 et seq., and its respective revisions and amendments as may occur from time to time.

Medical director means an individual licensed by the state as an MD or DO, with preference for individuals with pre-hospital emergency medical care or emergency department experience as well as meets the requirements and standards contained in F.S. ch. 401 and Chapter 64E-2 Florida Administrative Code, and retained or employed by a certificate candidate or certified certificate holder for the purposes contained in section 42-92.

Municipality means and shall refer to all municipal corporations within the boundaries of the county.

Non-transport agency means any privately owned or publicly owned ALS or BLS service providing first response treatment and therapy for the intent of stabilizing a patient's condition on an emergency scene, but not intended to provide transport service and therefore, does not hold a certificate of public convenience and necessity for transportation of patients.

Ordinance means this article which relates to the provision of emergency medical services in the county.

Owner means the person or persons owning an interest in an improved real property located within the county.

Paramedic means any person who possesses a valid paramedic certificate issued in accordance with state law.

Patient means any person who is in need of emergency medical treatment transportation or interfacility transfer.

Person means either an individual, firm, partnership, corporation, association, personal representative, administrator, trustee or other legal entity, whether singular or plural, masculine or feminine, as the context may require.

Property appraiser means the property appraiser of the county.

Public Records Act means F.S. ch. 119 and its respective revisions and amendments as may occur from time to time.

Rate resolution means the resolution adopted by the board pursuant to the provisions of this article incorporating a schedule of all annual rates, service charges and non-ad valorem assessments to be imposed upon the owners of all applicable improved real property in the county or a resolution adopted by the board pursuant to the provisions of this article incorporating a schedule of rates or service charges for emergency medical services.

Regulate means to fix, establish or control; to adjust by rule, method or established mode; to direct by rule or restriction; to subject a person (as defined herein) to governing principles or laws by the board as it relates to emergency medical service in the county.

Rescue vehicle or med unit means any vehicle equipped to provide medical transport services in the field and provides medical transportation.

Response time means the total elapsed time from initial dispatch to arrival at the scene by the rescue/squad/ambulance vehicle.

Squad means any vehicle capable of providing ALS non-transport service.

State means the State of Florida.

Tax collector means the tax collector of the county.

Trailer park means any improved real property divided into spaces for the erection and maintenance of trailers and mobile homes in which the individual spaces are not individually owned.

(Ord. No. 04-48, § 2, 11-30-04; Ord. No. 05-43, § 1, 9-1-05)