As used in this section, "emergency medical service organization" has the same meaning as in section 4765.01 of the Revised Code.

A board of county commissioners may operate an ambulance service organization or emergency medical service organization, or, in counties with a population of forty thousand or less, may operate a nonemergency patient transport service organization, or may enter into a contract with one or more counties, townships, municipal corporations, nonprofit corporations, joint emergency medical services districts, fire and ambulance districts, or private ambulance owners, regardless of whether such counties, townships, municipal corporations, nonprofit corporations, joint emergency medical services districts, fire and ambulance districts, or private ambulance owners are located within or without the state, in order to furnish or obtain the services of ambulance service organizations, to furnish or obtain additional services from ambulance service organizations in times of emergency, to furnish or obtain the services of emergency medical service organizations, or, in counties with a population of forty thousand or less, to furnish or obtain services of nonemergency patient transport service organizations, or may enter into a contract with any such entity to furnish or obtain the interchange of services from ambulance or emergency medical service organizations, or, within counties with a population of forty thousand or less, to furnish or obtain the interchange of services from nonemergency patient transport service organizations, within the territories of the contracting subdivisions. Except in the case of a contract with a joint emergency medical services district to obtain the services of emergency medical service organizations, such contracts shall not be entered into with a public agency or nonprofit corporation that receives more than half of its operating funds from governmental entities with the intention of directly competing with the operation of other ambulance service organizations, nonemergency patient transport service organizations, or emergency medical service organizations in the county unless the public agency or nonprofit corporation is awarded the contract after submitting the lowest and best bid to the board of county commissioners. Any county wishing to commence operation of a nonemergency patient transport service organization or wishing to enter into a contract for the first time to furnish or obtain services from a nonemergency patient transport service organization on or after March 1, 1993, including a county in which a private provider has been providing the service, shall demonstrate the need for public funding for the service to, and obtain approval from, the state board of emergency medical, fire, and transportation services or its immediate successor board prior to operating or funding the organization.

When such an organization is operated by the board, the organization may be administered by the board, by the county sheriff, or by another county officer or employee designated by the board. All rules, including the determining of reasonable rates, necessary for the establishment, operation, and maintenance of such an organization shall be adopted by the board.

A contract for services of an ambulance service, nonemergency patient transport service, or emergency medical service organization shall include the terms, conditions, and stipulations as agreed to by the parties to the contract. It may provide for a fixed annual charge to be paid at the times agreed upon and stipulated in the contract, or for compensation based upon a stipulated price for each run, call, or emergency or the number of persons or pieces of apparatus employed, or the elapsed time of service required in such run, call, or emergency, or any combination thereof.

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

Effective Date: 05-06-1998; 09-16-2004