New ambulance will give medics a safer ride

[x635 4,066]

I'm for ANYTHING that makes an ambulance safer for the crew working inside!! =D> Thumbs up to this project, hopefully it really will serve as a springboard for mass-production improvments!

New ambulance will give medics a safer ride

When an ambulance crashes, the patient strapped to the backboard rarely is seriously injured. If there's an injury, it's generally to paramedics.  

But the chance of injury - or death - are about to decrease drastically for American Medical Response medics in Evansville who ride in its brand new ambulance, created specifically with paramedic's safety in mind.  

The ambulance, the first of its kind in the nation, will take to the streets of Evansville this week.  

"This truck is here to stimulate change," said Lee Turpen, AMR's clinical and educational services coordinator in Evansville. "Evansville has something that no one else has right now."  

No corners were cut in designing the ambulance, either. Costing about $150,000 - nearly twice the cost of other ambulances - it includes every bell and whistle from NASCAR-style seating for medics in the back to running board lights under the front doors to illuminate the ground for the paramedics.  

"I'm thrilled to death to see our industry going toward the safety of us in the back," said AMR operations supervisor John Wilcox, who makes several emergency runs a week. "It's about time."  

Typical ambulances have poor restraint systems and lots of "hit points" on corners and sharp angles in the back. With the new ambulance, almost all protruding points have been recessed and the corners have been rounded. Added protection has even been incorporated into the floor with a rubber coating over the diamond-plated flooring.  

"There's so many little things," Turpen said.  

Other new features include a full-size child seat and way to secure it and a helmet that medics must wear when working in the back. In accidents, almost all medics killed die of head injuries.  

"They really thought this thing through so wonderfully," he said.  

The patient's privacy is now protected through a screening on the back windows and, Turpen said. A new ring of lights on the ambulance that flash when a patient is on board hopefully will make for a faster ride to the hospital.  

The ambulance was manufactured by American Emergency Vehicles, and Evansville is the test site for it. Turpen is responsible for documenting the ambulance's usage, its good features and what could be improved until the vehicle reaches 250,000 miles.  

"We're trying it to see if the concepts work," Turpen said.  

AMR fleet mechanic Jason Henry will be responsible for helping to modify the ambulance as it needs it.  

"It's really interesting being involved with it since it's the only one like it in the country," he said. "Being the only one like it, you have to figure everything out on your own."  

Wilcox said it will take some time to figure out everything on the ambulance and get used to it.  

"Everything has its place in the back of the truck, and - God forbid anything does happen - we will have a better chance of surviving," he said.

These were the photos of the prototype, I don't know if they reflect the actual bus.

http://www.amr.net/news/media/images/news_...it_photo_18.jpg

http://www.amr.net/news/media/images/news_...it_photo_17.jpg

[xfirefighter484x 234]

First off, I don't want anyone to get the idea that I am bashing anyone affiliated with EMS or anything, I do have the utmost respect for you all, these are just a few of my little observations. I will give credit where credit is due. A lot of thought and effort went into designing this bus, but there is never any perfect situation. As well as those racing-inspired seats in the back may be designed, they must be used to work properly. For example, as we all know (or some of us at least), performing CPR can't be performed too well from a seated position, one is most easily able to do so leaning over the patient, unfortunately. Of course as well, during a CPR call, one is going code 3 to the hospital, more than likely traveling very fast, and if an accident were to happen then...just like any other ambulance, the EMT/Medic would be unrestrained. Like I did say though, elminating sharp edges, corners, the hard floor will help in a lot of situations! I do like the setup they are said to have for baby car seats and the recessed compartments and such, many good ideas finally being put together!

[and now I brace myself for the onslaught of criticism I am bound to receive for bashing a positive article]

[WAS967 97]

Tis true. How many people do you think will wear that helmet they mentioned? Even if it IS made company policy? I kinda wonder how that second bucket seat near the bench will effect ingress/egress through the side doors. Also, $150k for a VAN seems VERY excessive.

[xfirefighter484x 234]

I have heard in the past of some other alternative restraints for crews in the back, such as a full point harness attached to a medic/EMT on either a retracting or just static line attached to the body of the bus inside. While it is a good idea in theory, if the rig rolls, they are basically a big yo-yo, or just like a pendulum on a large clock. Like I said before, many things are good in theory, but then again, there can be some drawbacks.

[Guest NYTruckie]

Tis true. How many people do you think will wear that helmet they mentioned? Even if it IS made company policy? I kinda wonder how that second bucket seat near the bench will effect ingress/egress through the side doors. Also, $150k for a VAN seems VERY excessive.

First let me start by stating that I could be wrong. I was under the impression that in an ambulance you have to be able to get a backboarded patient out of the side doors in an event that you were unable to open the back doors for any reason. The racing seats seem to far away to have any contact with the patient. With all of that said I think it’s a great first step in making ambulances safer.

As for the helmet, I believe at Boston EMS you have to wear a headset to contact the ER's (Hey X man is that right?). So a helmet might not be a big change for them.

[21Truck 8]

I'm not fond of the van ambulances but it looks like their moving in the right direction. I've ridden in the back of a rig for 4 years and have been thrown around a few times. I hope other manufactuer's start working on something like AEV is

[Guest]

i think that it is good that they are starting to make safer buses, and such i mean a patient is th most impotant task at hand inside a bus going to a hospital but the crew of that bus also have to feel safe and kneo that they will be ok just in case anything happens.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

That helmet is nothing more then like wearing a seat belt.

I don't know about many of the rest of you, but I've started not going code 3 to the ER w/ cardiac arrests that are not of extenuating etiology or refractory in any nature. This is also standard ops in many departments down south and out west, and have noticed it doesn't add on much transport time and I'm also not in danger (when the lights and sirens go on, the quality of the ambulance operations declines). Not to mention we put how many other people at risk, in addtion to ourselves, for something that 99.99% gets pronounced in the ER when you get there.

Any type of restaint has pro's and con's. 50% more pro is 50% more protection someone in the rear now has. That one seat I believe is not permanent and removes or folds. Much like flight attendant seats on smaller jet aircraft. The part that those must understand and again we do not learn from past incidents is they must wear those seatbelts when in the rear if you have a larger crew. Recently a VAC had an accident and perhaps the injuries might have been slightly less severe if those in the rear were restrained. (not a bash just a statement from an EVOC instructor).

Also you didn't bash anything. Your post was more defensive then anything, you gave insight, your opinion and it was all in a constructive, intelligently delivered and spelled manner.

[xfirefighter484x 234]

Also you didn't bash anything. Your post was more defensive then anything, you gave insight, your opinion and it was all in a constructive, intelligently delivered and spelled manner.

Thank you for putting it so eloquently ALS. I do take pride in trying to word myself to the best of my ability. I was honestly really surprised at how well everyone responded to my response. I am glad to have been able to be an intelligent part of this discussion!

[WAS967 97]

Also you didn't bash anything. Your post was more defensive then anything, you gave insight, your opinion and it was all in a constructive, intelligently delivered and spelled manner.

Thank you for putting it so eloquently ALS. I do take pride in trying to word myself to the best of my ability. I was honestly really surprised at how well everyone responded to my response. I am glad to have been able to be an intelligent part of this discussion!

Thats what we all (at least the moderators) like to see. People who respond with sarcasm to serious questions is rather counter productive. Hopefully the trend will continue.