§ 5-1-1 — Political subdivisions; ambulance service

A. A municipality or county may: (1) provide ambulance service to transport sick or injured persons to a place of treatment in the absence of an established ambulance service only as authorized by the department of transportation; (2) contract with other political subdivisions or with private ambulance services for the operation of its ambulance service; (3) lease ambulances and other equipment necessary to the operation of its ambulance service; (4) in the course of its operation of an ambulance service, proceed to the scene of a disaster beyond its subdivision boundaries when requested, providing no local established ambulance service is available or, if one exists, such local ambulance service deems its capacity inadequate or insufficient for emergency transportation of the disaster victims; and (5) transport sick or injured persons from the subdivision boundaries to any place of treatment. B. No personal action shall be maintained in any court of this state against any member or officer of a political subdivision for any tort or act done, or attempted to be done, when done by the authority of the political subdivision or in execution of its orders under this section. In all such cases, political subdivisions shall be responsible. Any member or officer of the political subdivision may plead the provisions of this section in bar of such action whether it is now pending or hereafter commenced.

Legislative History

1953 Comp., § 12-15-1, enacted by Laws 1967, ch. 167, § 1; recompiled as