Ohio Code § 505.44

§ 505.44.

As used in this section: (A) “Emergency medical service organization” has the same meaning as in section 4765.01 of the Revised Code . (B) “ State agency ” means all departments, boards, offices, commissions, agencies, colleges, universities,

institutions, and other instrumentalities of this or another state. In order to obtain the services of ambulance service organizations, to obtain additional

services from ambulance service organizations in times of emergency, to obtain the

services of emergency medical service organizations, or, if the township is located

in a county with a population of forty thousand or less, to obtain the services of

nonemergency patient transport service organizations, a township may enter into a

contract with one or more state agencies, townships, municipal corporations, counties,

nonprofit corporations, joint emergency medical services districts, fire and ambulance

districts, or private ambulance owners, regardless of whether such state agencies,

townships, municipal corporations, counties, nonprofit corporations, joint emergency

medical services districts, fire and ambulance districts, or private ambulance owners

are located within or outside the state, upon such terms as are agreed to by them,

to furnish or receive services from ambulance or emergency medical service organizations

or, if the township is located in a county with a population of forty thousand or

less, to furnish or receive services from nonemergency patient transport service organizations,

or may enter into a contract for the interchange of services from ambulance or emergency

medical service organizations or, if the township is located in a county with a population

of forty thousand or less, the interchange of services from nonemergency patient transport

service organizations, within the several territories of the contracting parties,

if the contract is first authorized by the respective boards of township trustees,

the other legislative bodies, or the officer or body authorized to contract on behalf

of the state agency.  Such contracts shall not be entered into with a state 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, emergency

medical, or nonemergency patient transport service organizations in the township unless

the state agency or nonprofit corporation is awarded the contract after submitting

the lowest and best bid to the board of township trustees. The contract may provide for compensation upon such terms as the parties may agree. Any township wishing to commence providing or wishing to enter into a contract for

the first time to furnish or obtain services from nonemergency patient transport service

organizations on or after March 1, 1993, including a township 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 the establishment

of a township-operated or township-funded service.