Service areas

To ensure reasonably adequate ambulance service coverage and to prevent competition that would impair the long-term availability of services to the public, the department shall designate service areas when requested or at the department's discretion. 1. Upon request by a licensed ambulance service the department shall designate its service area. The requesting agency shall have a base of operations within that service area, currently be providing ambulance response within that service area, and be in good standing with the department. 2. The geographic area of the service area must be defined by the department based on the reasonableness of a licensed ambulance service to respond to all requests for service within the area. 3. Service area designation may not impede the ability of the designee or health care facility requesting interfacility transportation to utilize other licensed ground ambulance services for mutual aid when the designee is unable to provide services due to capacity, level of service required exceeds what the local ambulance service can provide, or for specialty care transport that the designee cannot provide.