521 PARTICIPATING HOSPITALS

521.1 In accordance with their contractual agreements with the District, participating hospitals shall agree to provide at least one (1) ambulance on a twenty-four (24) hour basis subject to the full control of the central dispatching agency located at Fire Department Communication Division.521.2 The Emergency Ambulance Service shall not interfere with a hospital's prerogative to dispatch its emergency ambulance, but when the dispatch is made, it must be reported immediately to the central dispatcher's office, giving essential details of the contemplated run to the dispatcher.521.3 Each ambulance driver, when reporting for duty, shall notify the central dispatcher at once over the direct line, giving his or her name, agency, and ambulance number.521.4 Ambulance drivers shall not question the directions of the dispatching operator, but shall respond at once to his or her orders. This means that the orders shall be carried out, and any complaints shall be made at a later date if the driver feels that the orders were arbitrary or unreasonable.521.5 In all cases where ambulances have been dispatched, they shall complete their assignment to the best of their ability.521.6 The Emergency Ambulance Service shall notify the person in charge of a cooperating agency of any misconduct or failure by any driver to follow instructions. This shall be done by a written report of the Duty Officer.521.7 The various hospitals and other services shall agree to issue orders to their personnel that will make it mandatory for them to carry out, with dispatch and accuracy, all orders received from control headquarters.521.8 All emergency ambulance calls shall be recorded, dated, and timed, as follows:- (a) The dispatcher shall enter on his dispatch sheet the name of the person calling;

- (b) The ambulance, upon completion of an emergency call, shall report 'in service' by radio; and

- (c) Immediately upon return to its headquarters, an ambulance shall give a complete detailed report to the dispatcher.521.9 In addition to complete coverage for ambulance service on a twenty-four (24) hour basis, the hospitals also agree to maintain a twenty-four (24) hour watch on the direct line telephone to the central dispatcher's office.521.10 Telephone requests for doctors to respond for sick calls which do not require ambulance service, or are not in the category of an Emergency Ambulance Service call, will be routed as follows:- (a) Non-indigent - to the District Medical Bureau;

- (b) Indigent - to the nearest Police Precinct for a district physician; or

- (c) Questionable - calls of a questionable nature shall be given to police scout cars for investigation and report.521.11 If a call warrants hospitalization, the Emergency Ambulance Service shall, upon request of police investigators, respond immediately.

521.12 In all cases of questionable character not covered under this section, the Duty Officer shall use his or her independent judgment, bearing in mind that the important thing is to see that the call is completed with a minimum of delay and that the proper service is rendered.

SOURCE: Rules of the Board of Public Welfare issued July 28, 1950; as amended on September 29, 1950.