“The current configuration of most ambulances makes it difficult for technicians to safely perform life-saving functions on their patients while remaining securely strapped into their seats,” explained Randy Knors, president of Road Rescue, which manufactured the safety ambulance prototype. “Our new design has repositioned the seating and added retractable harnesses that provide more freedom of movement to EMTs without sacrificing their personal safety.”
Road Rescue's new safety ambulance concept features:
- A reconfigured seating that replaces the traditional squad bench with two separate seats for technicians. The front tech seat is on a base that moves along a track with a five-point, retractable harness that provides the EMT with more mobility at the head of the patient. The rear-seating position features an independent seat-base and a static five-point harness.
- Revised door placement, which shifts the side-entry door toward the bulkhead, allows for an additional working area along the curb-side wall inside the vehicle.
- Redesigned internal cabinetry, which provides an “action-area” configured to support the equipment necessary to provide life-saving care to a patient during transport.
- A secondary control panel, providing full control of the patient compartment lighting and other functions in the patient area to technicians seated on either side of the patient.
“Safety of technicians, patients and the driver is critical,” Knors said. “Our new safety ambulance, which allows emergency-rescue personnel to provide effective patient care in a safe, secure environment, should resonate with the industry.”
More than 16.2 million patients arrive at emergency rooms across the country each year, a number that has grown over the past decade. More than 80 percent of all fire department service calls nationwide are now requesting emergency medical services.