1. The Department of Public Safety may issue permits for authorized emergency vehicles to vehicles required to be operated primarily for the immediate preservation of life or property or for the apprehension of violators of the law. The permits must not be issued to vehicles when there are available comparable services provided by agencies referred to in NRS 484A.480.

2. The issuance of the permits to vehicles under this section must be limited to:

(a) Agencies designated in NRS 484A.480;

(b) Vehicles owned or operated by an agency of the United States engaged primarily in law enforcement work;

(c) Ambulances designed and operated exclusively as such; and

(d) Supervisory vehicles which are:

(1) Marked and used to coordinate and direct the response of ambulances to emergencies;

(2) Privately owned by a person licensed to operate an ambulance; and

(3) Operated under contract with a local governmental agency and at the request of its law enforcement agency or fire department.

3. The following are not emergency vehicles and must not be permitted to operate as such:

(a) Tow cars;

(b) Vehicles used by public utilities;

(c) Vehicles used in merchant patrols;

(d) Vehicles used in private escort service;

(e) Privately owned vehicles of volunteer firefighters;

(f) Privately owned vehicles of reserve members of a police department or a sheriff’s office; and

(g) Vehicles of private detectives.

(Added to NRS by 1969, 1505; A 1985, 1957; 1987, 912; 2005, 316; 2011, 344) — (Substituted in revision for NRS 484.789)