§16-4C-3. Definitions.

As used in this article, unless the context clearly requires a different meaning:

(a) "Ambulance" means any privately or publicly-owned vehicle or aircraft which is designed, constructed or modified; equipped or maintained; and operated for the transportation of patients, including, but not limited to, emergency medical services vehicles; rotary and fixed wing air ambulances; gsa kkk-A-1822 federal standard type I, type II and type III vehicles; and specialized multipatient medical transport vehicles operated by an emergency medical services agency;

(b) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health;

(c) "Council" means the Emergency Medical Service Advisory Council created pursuant to this article;

(d) "Director" means the Director of the Office of Emergency Medical Service in the Bureau for Public Health.

(e) "Emergency Medical Services" means all services which are set forth in Public Law 93-154 "The Emergency Medical Services Systems Act of 1973" and those included in and made a part of the emergency medical services plan of the Department of Health inclusive of, but not limited to, responding to the medical needs of an individual to prevent the loss of life or aggravation of illness or injury;

(f) "Emergency medical service agency" means any agency licensed under section six-a of this article to provide emergency medical services;

(g) "Emergency medical service personnel" means any person certified by the commissioner to provide emergency medical services as set forth by legislative rule;

(h) "Emergency medical service provider" means any authority, person, corporation, partnership or other entity, public or private, which owns or operates a licensed emergency medical services agency providing emergency medical service in this state;

(i) "Governing body" has the meanings ascribed to it as applied to a municipality in subdivision (1), subsection (b), section two, article one, chapter eight of this code;

(j) "Line officer" means the emergency medical service personnel, present at the scene of an accident, injury or illness, who has taken the responsibility for patient care;

(k) "Medical command" means the issuing of orders by a physician from a medical facility to emergency medical service personnel for the purpose of providing appropriate patient care;

(l) "Municipality" has the meaning ascribed to it in subdivision (1), subsection (a), section two, article one, chapter eight of this code;

(m) "Patient" means any person who is a recipient of the services provided by emergency medical services;

(n) "Service reciprocity" means the provision of emergency medical services to citizens of this state by emergency medical service personnel certified to render those services by a neighboring state;

(o) "Small emergency medical service provider" means any emergency medical service provider which is made up of less than twenty emergency medical service personnel; and

(p) "Specialized multipatient medical transport" means a type of ambulance transport provided for patients with medical needs greater than those of the average population, which may require the presence of a trained emergency medical technician during the transport of the patient: Provided, That the requirement of "greater medical need" may not prohibit the transportation of a patient whose need is preventive in nature.