As used in this chapter:

(A) "Advanced life support" means treatment described in section 4765.39 of the Revised Code that a paramedic is certified to perform.

(B) "Air medical service organization" means an organization that furnishes, conducts, maintains, advertises, promotes, or otherwise engages in providing medical services with a rotorcraft air ambulance or fixed wing air ambulance.

(C) "Air medical transportation" means the transporting of a patient by rotorcraft air ambulance or fixed wing air ambulance with appropriately licensed and certified medical personnel.

(D) "Ambulance" means any motor vehicle that is specifically designed, constructed, or modified and equipped and is intended to be used to provide basic life support, intermediate life support, advanced life support, or mobile intensive care unit services and transportation upon the streets or highways of this state of persons who are seriously ill, injured, wounded, or otherwise incapacitated or helpless. "Ambulance" does not include air medical transportation or a vehicle designed and used solely for the transportation of nonstretcher-bound persons, whether hospitalized or handicapped or whether ambulatory or confined to a wheelchair.

(E) "Ambulette" means a motor vehicle that is specifically designed, constructed, or modified and equipped and is intended to be used for transportation upon the streets or highways of this state of persons who require use of a wheelchair or other mobility aid.

(F) "Basic life support" means treatment described in section 4765.37 of the Revised Code that an EMT is certified to perform.

(G) "Disaster situation" means any condition or situation described by rule of the state board of emergency medical, fire, and transportation services as a mass casualty, major emergency, natural disaster, or national emergency.

(H) "Emergency medical service organization" means an organization that uses EMTs, AEMTs, or paramedics, or a combination of EMTs, AEMTs, and paramedics, to provide medical care to victims of illness or injury. An emergency medical service organization includes, but is not limited to, a commercial ambulance service organization, a hospital, and a funeral home.

(I) "EMT," "AEMT," and "paramedic" have the same meanings as in sections 4765.01 and 4765.011 of the Revised Code.

(J) "Fixed wing air ambulance" means a fixed wing aircraft that is specifically designed, constructed, or modified and equipped and is intended to be used as a means of air medical transportation.

(K) "Health care practitioner" has the same meaning as in section 3701.74 of the Revised Code.

(L) "Health care services" has the same meaning as in section 3922.01 of the Revised Code.

(M) "Intermediate life support" means treatment described in section 4765.38 of the Revised Code that an AEMT is certified to perform.

(N) "Major emergency" means any emergency event that cannot be resolved through the use of locally available emergency resources.

(O) "Mass casualty" means an emergency event that results in ten or more persons being injured, incapacitated, made ill, or killed.

(P) "Medical emergency" means an unforeseen event affecting an individual in such a manner that a need for immediate care is created.

(Q) "Mobile intensive care unit" means an ambulance used only for maintaining specialized or intensive care treatment and used primarily for interhospital transports of patients whose conditions require care beyond the scope of a paramedic as provided in section 4765.39 of the Revised Code.

(R)

(1) "Nonemergency medical service organization" means a person that does both of the following:

(a) Provides services to the public on a regular basis for the purpose of transporting individuals who require the use of a wheelchair or other mobility aid to receive health care services in nonemergency circumstances;

(b) Provides the services for a fee, regardless of whether the fee is paid by the person being transported, a third party payer, as defined in section 3702.51 of the Revised Code, or any other person or government entity.

(2) "Nonemergency medical service organization" does not include a health care facility, as defined in section 1751.01 of the Revised Code, that provides ambulette services only to patients of that facility.

(S) "Nontransport vehicle" means a motor vehicle operated by a licensed emergency medical service organization not as an ambulance, but as a vehicle for providing services in conjunction with the ambulances operated by the organization or other emergency medical service organizations.

(T) "Patient" means any individual who as a result of illness or injury needs medical attention, whose physical or mental condition is such that there is imminent danger of loss of life or significant health impairment, or who may be otherwise incapacitated or helpless as a result of a physical or mental condition, or any individual whose physical condition requires the use of a wheelchair or other mobility aid.

(U) "Rotorcraft air ambulance" means a helicopter or other aircraft capable of vertical takeoffs, vertical landings, and hovering that is specifically designed, constructed, or modified and equipped and is intended to be used as a means of air medical transportation.

(V) "Taxicab" means a taxicab vehicle operated by a taxicab service company, provided the company is not a nonemergency medical service organization.

(W) "Transportation network company driver" has the same meaning as in section 3942.01 of the Revised Code.

(X) "Transportation network company services" has the same meaning as in section 3942.01 of the Revised Code.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 195, §1, eff. 8/1/2018.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. 7, HB 51, §101.01, eff. 7/1/2013.

Effective Date: 03-09-2004; 01-18-2007