37.104.516    AMBULANCE PERMITS

(1) Except as provided in (7), no ambulance may be utilized by an ambulance service until the department has found it is, at the time of inspection, in compliance with these rules and issued a permit to the ambulance service for the ambulance.  The department may issue a temporary permit, by mail or otherwise, until an inspection can be completed. 

(2) Effective March 8, 2025, all ground ambulances, including remounts, that have not previously been permitted by the department must meet ambulance design criteria from:

(a) The Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services Ground Vehicle Standard for Ambulances (GVS), Version 3.0, effective July 1, 2022; or

(b) The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1917 Standard for Automotive Ambulances - 2019 Edition.

(3) Vehicles that do not meet these standards may be permitted by the department if the ambulance service can demonstrate that the vehicle meets substantially similar standards in effect on the year of the vehicle's manufacture.

(4) A decal or letter of verification from the manufacturer certifying that the vehicle meets the standard shall be made available upon inspection.

(5) The department adopts and incorporates by reference the GVS Version 3.0 and the NFPA 1917 Standard for Automotive Ambulances 2019 Edition. The GVS Version 3.0 is available at https://www.groundvehiclestandard.org/. The NFPA 2019 Edition is available at https://www.nfpa.org/.  Copies of each standard are available for review by contacting the Department of Public Health and Human Services, Public Health and Safety, Division, Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Systems Section, 1400 Broadway, P.O. Box 202951, Helena, MT 59620-2951.

(6) Any ambulance that has a salvage title must undergo an inspection pursuant to 49 CFR 396.17 before the vehicle may be permitted or returned to service.

(7) If an ambulance service has current accreditation without variance or limitations from an accrediting body, inspection of ambulances may be waived; however, the ambulance service must submit current accreditation documentation and attest that each ambulance is compliant with the ambulance specifications. Accredited ambulance services must request, pay for, and display state-issued permits for each ambulance.

(8) The ambulance permit must be displayed either on or in the ambulance as the department directs.

History: 50-6-323, MCA; IMP, 50-6-323, MCA; NEW, 2023 MAR p. 1020, Eff. 9/9/23.