(2) A person or governmental unit which operates an ambulance may not authorize a person to act for it as an emergency medical services provider unless the emergency medical services provider is licensed under this chapter.

(3) A person or governmental unit may not operate or allow to be operated in this state any ambulance unless it is operated with at least one emergency medical services provider who is licensed at a level higher than emergency medical responder.

(4) It is a defense to any charge under this section that there was a reasonable basis for believing that the performance of services contrary to this section was necessary to preserve human life, that diligent effort was made to obtain the services of a licensed emergency medical services provider and that the services of a licensed emergency medical services provider were not available or were not available in time as under the circumstances appeared necessary to preserve such human life.

(5) Subsections (1) to (3) of this section are not applicable to any individual, group of individuals, partnership, entity, association or other organization otherwise subject thereto providing a service to the public exclusively by volunteer unpaid workers, nor to any person who acts as an ambulance attendant therefor, provided that in the particular county in which the service is rendered, the county court or board of county commissioners has by order, after public hearing, granted exemption from such subsections to the individual, group, partnership, entity, association or organization. When exemption is granted under this section, any person who attends an individual who is ill or injured or who has a disability in an ambulance may not purport to be an emergency medical services provider. [Formerly 682.135; 2007 c.70 §311; 2011 c.703 §9]