Trans 309.03 (9) (a) The department shall consider the age, condition, and equipment of ambulances before granting approval for their continued use. The department shall not permit the use of any ambulance for emergency medical purposes which is deemed to be unsafe or unfit for such service.
(b) In construing and enforcing the provisions of this chapter, the act, omission or failure of any officer, agent, servant or other person acting for or employed by the registered owner or the lessee of the ambulance is deemed to be the act, omission or failure of such registered owner or lessee. This subsection does not apply to violations of ch. 346, Stats. SECTION 21. Trans 309.04 (1) is amended to read:
Trans 309.04 Specialized emergency medical care vehicles. (1) In recognition of their highly specialized design, construction, equipment and function, mobile intensive care transport units, critical care transport units and intensive care vehicles designed and equipped for neonatology medical services, that are used only for transportation of patients between hospitals, are exempt from the vehicle equipment standards prescribed in ss. Trans 309.09 to 309.11, 309.14, 309.15 (3), 309.18 and 309.19 and subch. III.SECTION 22. Trans 309.06 is amended to read:
Trans 309.06 Sales or lease of new or used vehicles for use as ambulances. (1) Any person selling or leasing any new or used vehicle that is intended to be used as an ambulance shall provide the purchaser or lessee with a written notice stating that the vehicle complies with the requirements of ss. Trans 309.09 to 309.16. SECTION 23. Trans 309.06 (2) is created to read:
Trans 309.06 (2) An ambulance may be loaned or leased to an ambulance service provider by an ambulance manufacturer or dealer in order to avoid a hardship on that ambulance service provider and the emergency medical service needs of the community or communities it represents. The ambulance service must notify the inspector or department that they are obtaining the ambulance, the reason why and approximate duration as soon as possible. The loaned or leased ambulance must be temporarily replacing, not more than six months, an ambulance inspected and approved by the department under this chapter. If the ambulance service needs the use of a loaned or leased ambulance for any period of time greater than six months, approval must be granted by the department’s inspector. The entity loaning or leasing the ambulance must ensure the ambulance complies with the requirements of ss. Trans 309.09 to 309.16. The ambulance service receiving the loaned or leased ambulance must comply with all the applicable requirements of this chapter, except for those requirements of this chapter the ambulance service provider receiving the loaned or leased ambulance and the department inspector’s joint agreement in writing can be waived. SECTION 24. Trans 309.07 (5) is amended to read:
Trans 309.07 (5) The right to continue operation of an ambulance for which a variance has been granted or recognized under this section is not transferable to any other person or vehicle and a copy of the variance must be carried in the ambulance at all times.
SECTION 25. Trans 309.08 (1) is amended to read:
Trans 309.08 Documentation. (1) REGISTRATION AND INSURANCE. At the time of inspection, the service provider shall open to inspection the proof of current registration and insurance on each ambulance to be inspected. The proof of registration and insurance or copies of it each shall be carried in each ambulance and be available upon request of the inspector.
SECTION 26. Trans 309.08 (2) is repealed and recreated to read:
Trans 309.08 (2) DRUG LIST. Upon inspection, the service provider shall provide a copy of the current list of approved drugs from the services medical director. The list shall state the minimum amount of each drug the provider will carry on each ambulance.
SECTION 27. Trans 309.08 (3) and 309.08 (4) are created to read:
Trans 309.08 (3) MAINTENANCE. An ambulance service provider shall maintain their ambulances as specified by the OEM. Vehicle service or maintenance records shall be maintained by the ambulance service for the life of the ambulance and shall be made available to the department upon inspection.
Trans 309.08 (4) CRASH REGISTER. An ambulance service provider shall keep a written or electronic register of each crash their vehicles are involved in. The register shall include crash number issued by investigating agency, date, location, driver name, number of injuries, number of fatalities and vehicles towed.
SECTION 28. Trans 309.09 (1) (b) is repealed and recreated to read:
Trans 309.09(1) (b) Width. The compartment shall provide a minimum of 12" of clear aisle walkway between the edge of the primary patient cot and base of the nearest vertical feature measured along the floor.
SECTION 29. Trans 309.10 is amended to read:
Trans 309.10 Doors. An ambulance shall have 2 unobstructed door openings in addition to the doors for the driver cab compartment. There shall be at least one door opening on the right forward side and a single door or double doors at the rear of the patient compartment. A forward hinged single door, double doors or a sliding type door shall have a minimum right side door opening of 30 inches in width, and 54 inches in height for Types I, I-AD, and III and III-AD ambulances and 42 inches in height for Type II ambulances. The opening shall provide clearance to allow access and removal of a patient strapped to a long spine board. Single or double rear loading doors shall cover a clear opening of not less than 46 inches in height and 44 inches in width for Types I, I-AD, and III and III-AD ambulances, and the manufacturer's standard for Type II ambulances. The ambulance body doors shall be equipped with not less than 250 square inches of safety glass area per door. Doors shall be designed for easy release from both the interior and exterior of the ambulance, but an accidental opening shall be prevented by an interlocking system that functions even when doors are not completely closed. Each door shall have effective compression or overlapping seals to prevent the entry of dust, water and air. Doors may contain recessed compartments to the interior for storage of supplies and devices.
SECTION 30. Trans 309.11 is amended to read:
Trans 309.11 Bumpers, steps and stepwells. Chassis manufacturer's standard bumpers shall be furnished with the exception of the rear bumpers of Types I, I-AD, and III and III-AD ambulances. Types I, I-AD, and III and III-AD ambulances shall have a sturdy full width rear vehicular and body bumper with step, secured to the vehicle's chassis-frame. The rear bumper and step shall be adequate to support the test weight of 500 pounds without flexing or buckling. If the patient compartment floor is more than 18 inches above the ground on a Type II ambulance, a step shall be installed within 2 inches of an equal distance between the ground and the patient compartment floor. All bumper steps shall be designed to prevent the accumulation of mud, ice or snow and shall be made of antiskid, open grating metal. Steps may be of a folding style but may not be located within or exposed to the interior of the ambulance when the doors are closed. All steps shall extend the full width of the door opening for which they are provided and shall be not less than 5 inches nor more than 10 inches in depth.
SECTION 31. Trans 309.12 (3) is amended to read:
Trans 309.12 (3) Snow tires with tungsten carbide studs that shall not project more than one-eighth inch beyond the treads surface of the tire, may be installed on an ambulance from the 15th day of November each year through the 1st day of April of the following year.
SECTION 32. Trans 309.12 (5) is amended to read:
Trans 309.12 (5) Tires shall be maintained in good working condition. Tires shall not have serious cuts, bulges, sidewall defects or exposed fabric or cords.
SECTION 33. Trans 309.12 (6), 309.12 (7) and 309.12 (8) are created to read:
Trans 309.12 (6) Radial and bias tires shall not be mounted on the same axle.
Trans 309.12 (7) Wheels shall not have any cracks, unseated lock rings, loose, broken or missing lugs, studs or clamps, bent or cracked rims or elongated stud holes.
Trans 309.12 (8) Tires shall not be loaded above the manufacturer’s weight limits.
SECTION 34. Trans 309.14 is amended to read):
Trans 309.14 Environmental climactic equipment. (1) REQUIRED ENVIRONMENTAL CLIMATIC EQUIPMENT. All ambulances shall be equipped with a complete climate environmental system to supply and maintain clean air conditions and an inside temperature at a comfortable level in both driver and patient compartments. The various systems for heating, ventilating and air conditioning may be separate or combination systems that permit independent control of environment within each compartment. The driver and patient compartment environments may not be dependent upon one another in any way.
SECTION 35. Trans 309.14 (2) is created to read:
Trans 309.14 (2) INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT CLIMATE. When an ambulance is prepared for immediate response with medications and solutions on the ambulance, the ambulance’s interiors climate shall be maintained so that the medications and solutions are kept within the temperature range required by the manufacturer.
SECTION 36. Trans 309.15 (1) is amended to read:
Trans 309.15 (1) General Lamps. Ambulances shall be equipped with headlamps, directional signal lamps, tail lamps, stop lamps, parking lamps, sidemarker lamps, license plate lamps, backup lamps, hazard warning lamps and clearance lamps and spot lamps meeting the requirements of ch. 347, Stats. SECTION 37. Trans 309.15 (2) (c) is amended to read:
Trans 309.15 (2) (c) The lights required in par. (a) 2. may be replaced with rotating red or red and white lights revolving or flashing on a horizontal plane.
SECTION 38. Trans 309.15 (2) (g) is created to read:
Trans 309.15 (2) (g) A flashing amber light may be installed to the rear top, positioned equally between the two top mounted corner flashing red lights, or two amber lights may be installed to the rear mounted to the insides of the two corner flashing red lights.
SECTION 39. Trans 309.15 (4) is created to read:
Trans 309.15 (4) Lighting requirements described in this section are illustrated in figure 1.
Figure 1 – Emergency Lighting
SECTION 40. Trans 309.16 (2) is amended to read:
