Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1978 NO. 5 >

A fire protection district does not have the legal authority, under existing statutes, to maintain and provide a paid firefighter who has first aid training, to ride with a privately owned ambulance in order to enable the ambulance operator to comply with RCW 18.73.150.

AGLO 1975 NO. 52 >

Extent of and basis for fees which may be charged by a fire protection district for ambulance services under House Bill No. 62 (chapter 147, Laws of 1975, 1st Ex. Sess).

AGO 1961 NO. 72 >

(1) A city of the third class may maintain and operate an ambulance to such extent as is essential to the general health, welfare and safety of its inhabitants, subject to certain limitations.(2) A city of the third class does not have the power by itself or as a member of a private organization to provide ambulance service to areas outside its corporate limits except to transport persons to a physician, hospital or other facility located outside the city limits.(3) A city of the third class has no authority under state law to receive and possess an ambulance or ambulance‑type vehicle for use by its employees on a volunteer basis, and not as agents or employees of the city, in answering calls for assistance both within and without the city's corporate limits.

AGLO 1973 NO. 89 >

Chapter 89, Laws of 1972, Ex. Sess., authorizes a third class county to establish an ambulance service for the entire county including that portion of the county lying within an incorporated city or town; such county ambulance service may compete with a municipal system owned and operated by a fourth class city but it may not compete with existing private ambulance system.