§ 3010. Area of operation; transfers. 1. Every ambulance service certificate or statement of registration issued under this article shall specify the primary territory within which the ambulance service shall be permitted to operate. An ambulance service shall receive patients only within the primary territory specified on its ambulance service certificate or statement of registration, except: (a) when receiving a patient which it initially transported to a facility or location outside its primary territory; (b) as required for the fulfillment of a mutual aid agreement authorized by the regional council; (c) upon express approval of the department and the appropriate regional emergency medical services council for a maximum of sixty days if necessary to meet an emergency need; provided that in order to continue such operation beyond the sixty day maximum period necessary to meet an emergency need, the ambulance service must satisfy the requirements of this article, regarding determination of public need and specification of the primary territory on the ambulance service certificate or statement of registration; or (d) an ambulance service or advanced life support first response service organization formed to serve the need for the provision of emergency medical services in accordance with the religious convictions of a religious denomination may serve such needs in an area adjacent to such primary territory and, while responding to a call for such service, the needs of other residents of such area at the emergency scene. Any ambulance service seeking to operate in more than one region shall make application to each appropriate regional council. Whenever an application is made simultaneously to more than one regional council, the applications submitted to the regional councils shall be identical, or copies of each application shall be submitted to all the regional councils involved.

2. No ambulance service certificate shall be transferable unless the regional council and the department reviews and approves the transfer as follows:

a. Any change in the individual who is the sole proprietor of an ambulance service shall only be approved upon a determination that the proposed new operator is competent and fit to operate the service.

b. Any change in a partnership which is the owner of an ambulance service shall be approved based upon a determination that the new partner or partners are competent and fit to operate the service. The remaining partners shall not be subject to a character and fitness review.

c. Any transfer, assignment or other disposition of ten percent or more of the stock or voting rights thereunder of a corporation which is the owner of an ambulance service, or any transfer, assignment or other disposition of the stock or voting rights thereunder of such a corporation which results in the ownership or control of ten percent or more of the stock or voting rights thereunder by any person, shall be approved based upon a determination that the new stockholder or stockholder proposing to obtain ten percent or more of the stock or voting rights thereunder of such corporation is competent and fit to operate the service. The remaining stockholders shall not be subject to a character and fitness review.

d. Any transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of a corporation which owns or operates a certified ambulance service shall be approved based upon a determination that the individual, partnership, or corporation proposing to obtain all or substantially all of the assets of the corporation is competent and fit to operate the service.

e. Any transfer affected in the absence of the review and approval required by this section shall be null and void and the certificate of such ambulance service shall be subject to revocation or suspension.

3. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit any voluntary ambulance service authorized by its governing authority to do so from transporting any sick or injured resident of its primary territory from any general hospital or other health care facility licensed by the department, whether or not such general hospital or health care facility is within the service's primary territory, to any other general hospital or health care facility licensed by the department for further care, or to such resident's home. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit any proprietary ambulance service authorized by its governing body to do so from transporting any sick or injured patient from any general hospital or other health care facility licensed by the department whether or not such general hospital or health care facility is within the service's primary territory, to any other general hospital or health care facility licensed by the department within the service's primary territory for further care, or to such patient's home, if such patient's home is within its primary territory. Any ambulance service owned by or under contract to a general hospital licensed by the department may transport any specialty patient from any other general hospital or health care facility licensed by the department to the hospital owning such ambulance service, or with which it has a contract. Categories of specialty patients shall be defined by rule by the state emergency medical services council, subject to the approval of the commissioner.

4. No ambulance service certificate of an ambulance service which has discontinued operations for a continuous period in excess of thirty days shall be transferable without the approval of the appropriate regional council.