(A) A person, firm, corporation, association, county, district, municipality, or metropolitan government or agency, either as owner, agent, or otherwise, may not furnish, operate, conduct, maintain, advertise, or otherwise engage in or profess to engage in the business or service of providing emergency medical response or ambulance service, or both, without obtaining a license and ambulance permit issued by the department. Failure to furnish, operate, conduct, maintain, advertise, or otherwise engage in or profess to engage in the business or service of providing emergency medical response or ambulance service without the proper license or permit, or both, from the department results in a Class I civil penalty, as defined in Regulation 61-7(304).

(B) Applicants shall file license applications with the appropriate official of the department having authority over emergency services. At a minimum, license applications shall contain evidence of ability to conform to the standards and regulations established by the board and such other information as may be required by the department. If the application is approved, the license will be issued. If the application is disapproved, the applicant may appeal in a manner pursuant to Article 3, Chapter 23 of Title 1.

Terms Used In South Carolina Code 44-61-40

  • Ambulance: means a vehicle maintained or operated by a licensed provider who has obtained the necessary permits and licenses for the transportation of persons who are sick, injured, wounded, or otherwise incapacitated. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Board: means the governing body of the Department of Health and Environmental Control or its designated representative. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Department: means the administrative agency known as the Department of Health and Environmental Control. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • License: means an authorization to a person, firm, corporation, or governmental division or agency to provide emergency medical services in the State. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
  • Patient: means an individual who is sick, injured, wounded, or otherwise incapacitated or helpless. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
  • Permit: means an authorization issued for an ambulance vehicle which meets the standards adopted pursuant to this article. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
  • Standards: means the required measurable components of an emergency medical service system having permanent and recognized value that provide adequate emergency health care delivery. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20

(C) An applicant shall retain a medical control physician to maintain quality control of the patient care provided by the applicant’s service. No medical control physician acting in good faith who participates in the review or evaluation of the services provided by the applicant to help improve the quality of patient care is liable for any civil damages as a result of any act or omission by the physician in the course of a review or evaluation.

(D) Applicants shall renew licenses and permits every two years.

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