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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>69752</law_id><section_number>15.2-955</section_number><catch_line>Approval by local governing body for the establishment of volunteer emergency medical services agencies and firefighting organizations</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>18.2-340.16</reference><reference>18.2-340.23</reference><reference>18.2-340.34:1</reference><reference>2.2-2821.2</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="15.2">Counties, Cities and Towns</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Powers of Local Government</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="9">General Powers of Local Governments</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="5">Additional Powers</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> No volunteer emergency medical services agency or volunteer firefighting organization shall be established in any <span class="dictionary">locality</span> on or after July 1, 1984, without the prior approval by <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> or resolution of the <span class="dictionary">governing body</span>. Such <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> or resolution shall specify the geographic boundaries of the agency&#x2019;s primary service area within the <span class="dictionary">locality</span>. <a id="paragraph-252106" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-955/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Each <span class="dictionary">locality</span> shall seek to ensure that essential emergency medical services are maintained throughout the entire <span class="dictionary">locality</span>. <a id="paragraph-252107" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-955/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> An emergency medical services agency that responds to medical emergencies for its primary service area as defined by the local emergency medical response plan shall be a designated emergency response agency and recognized as an integral and essential part of the official public safety program of the <span class="dictionary">county</span>, <span class="dictionary">city</span>, or <span class="dictionary">town</span> with responsibility for providing emergency medical response. <a id="paragraph-252108" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-955/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1984, c. 599, &#xA7; 15.1-26.01; 1997, c. 587; 2005, c. 418; 2015, cc. 502, 503; 2023, cc. 458, 459.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
