Ordinance No. 734ORDINANCE NO. 734
AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE REGULATION AND OPERATION
OF EMERGENCY VEHICLES, REGULATING THE SPEED THEREOF, RE-
QUIRING AMBULANCES TO BE EQUIPPED WITH SIRE14S TO BE USED
CONTINUOUSLY WHILE ON EMERGENCY CALLS; REPEALING ORDIN-
ANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE;
PROVIDING FOR A MAXIMUM PENALTY OF TWO HUNDRED ($200.00)
DOLLARS, AND PROVIDING FOR THE PUBLICATION AND EFFECTIVE
DATE THEREOF.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTO'JN:
Section 1: No person, firm or corporation shall operate or cause
to be operated on the streets of the City of Baytown, Texas, any emer-
gency vehicle without first securing a permit therefor from the City
Health Officer and the Chief of Police, stating in such application the
name of the owner, or person to whom such permit is desired, his street
address, the type of motor car to be used, the horsepower thereof, the
factory number and /or motor number thereof and such other relevant in-
formation as may be deemed advisable and necessary by the -City Health
Officer and the Chief of Police of said City. Such application shall be
signed and sworn to by the applicant.
Section 2: It shall be unlawful to operate on the streets of the
City of Baytown any emergency vehicle unless same shall be equipped with
at least one (1) lighted revolving or blinking red light, visible under
normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of Five Hundred (5001)
feet in front of such vehicle, and one (1) twelve (12) volt siren; said
red light and siren to be operated continuously while said emergency
vehicle is on an emergency call.
Section 3: It shall be unlawful to operate or drive an emergency
vehicle upon any street within the corporate limits of the City of Bay-
town at a rate of speed in excess of ten (10) miles per hour above the
legal speed limit; provided, however, that any bona fide peace officer,
when in actual pursuit of a traffic violator or other person who might
otherwise escape apprehension from a criminal offense which would ordin-
arily warrant arrest and immediate pursuit may, in his discretion, ex-
ceed such speed limit.
Section 4: It shall be unlawful to drive or operate an emergency
vehicle upon the streets of the City of Baytown unless and until the op-
erator of such vehicle shall procure and furnish public liability and
property damage insurance on each vehicle to be operated with the minimum
liability thereunder as follows:
-10,000.00 for any one single personal injury to any one person.
:,320,000.00 for personal injuries in any one single accident.
- 5,000.00 property damage for any one single accident.
Said insurance policy to be approved by the City ,attorney of the City
of Baytown and said insurance policy shall be one issued by a company of
sufficient assets with an agent in Baytown, Texas. Such insurance policy
is for the protection of the public that might be injured by the opera-
tion of said vehicles.
Section 5: All ordinames or parts of ordinances inconsistent with
the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed; provided, however,
that such repeal shall be only to the extent of such inconsistency, and
in all other respects this ordinance shall be cumulative of other ordin-
ances regulating and governing the subject matter covered by this ordin-
ance.
Section 6: If any provision, exception, section, subsection, para-
graph, sentence, clause or phrase of this ordinance or the application
of Same to any person or set of circumstances shall for any reason be
held unconstitutional, void or invalid, such invalidity shall not affect
the validity of the remaining provisions of this ordinance or their ap-
plication to other persons or sets of circumstances, and to this end all
provisions of this ordinance are declared severable.
Section 7: )° +ny violation of any of the terms of this ordinance,
whether herein denominated as unlawful or not, shall be deemed a misde-
meanor, and any person convicted of any such violation shall be fined in
a sum not exceeding Two Hundred (:x200.00) Dollars. Each day of the con-
tinuance of such violation shall be considered a separate offense and be
punished separately; and any person, agent or employee engaged in such
violation shall, on conviction, be so punished therefor.
Section 8: 1y11 emergency vehicles now operating in the City of
Baytown shall be permitted to continue operating for a period of thirty
(30) days after the passage of this ordinance without complying with all
provisions therein. after said thirty (30) days period all vehicles
shall operate under the terms and provisions of this ordinance. The amity
.Clerk is hereby directed to give notice hereof by causing the caption
of this ordinance to be published in the official newspaper of the City
of Baytown at least twice within ten (10) days after the passage of this
ordinance.
INTRODUCED, R, riiZ and P.',SSED by the affirmative vote of a majority
of the city 'Council of the City of Baytown on this day of�,,
1954.
ATTEST:
Edna Oliver, City Clerk
C. L. Liggett, M.D. , i.iayor
APPROVED:
George Chandler, City attorney
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