Global Warming and Big Ambulances. An Inconvenient Truth?

[Scaramedic]

Rather than hijack another thread I'll start another one.

First off I am not a tree hugging environmentalist, but I am concerned about fossil fuels and how they are effecting our planet and pocketbooks. Having said that I have a question, is this really necessary?

Do we have different patients then they do in Europe where ambulances tend to look like this. NO fat American jokes please.

The problem as Al Gore and I see it is that WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!! OK, maybe that is a little extreme, but we are using up our oil supply and now a barrel of crude is over $100. So as fuel prices climb, budgets get larger and we have to charge more or milk more money from tax payers. Also there is that whole pesky global warming issue. I am not sure whether or not fossil fuels are responsible but why add to a potential problem?

Is it patient comfort? Nope. I used to work with Medics that started out in the Caddies. They always said that nothing rode like those Caddies. Yes they didn't have much room to work in but they were more comfortable for the patient. I see it like this, the patient only cares about the 3 ft by 6 1/2 ft they are occupying. That and how smooth the ride is. I have worked in all three types of ambulances and I have found that the bigger you get the rougher the ride. No matter how many snazzy air shocks you have, the higher the center of gravity the more sway and the rougher the ride. Don't believe me? Go drive a semi and then get in your car, you'll see the difference.

The other thread was about buying a huge ambulance to do long distance transports. Having done many long distance transports I have a simple question. How much actual medical care do you on an LDT? Usually not much. So instead of a big, diesel sucking rough riding concrete truck with a box wouldn't this be better?

I bet it has a lot smoother ride than a truck and gets a lot better gas mileage. Change the color and you have a pretty snazzy little ambulance.

So the question is with the change in fuel prices and with the world going towards more economical vehicles is it necessary for us to have such big ambulances. It seems pretty obvious to me there are going to be changes in the future. I do not see EMS, Fire or Police being immune from this. So what do you think?

Oh yeah I found this picture while looking for ambulance pics. I thought it was pretty funny.

[Chief1C]

We'd need two of the car-bulances there, just to carry all of our stuff.

[Medic26]

I have worked in every style of ambulance and I can tell you that its rare when you need anything but a type II (van). The only exception to this is a critical care/ventilator type transport when its more of a convenience than a need and a bariatric run when you need more room to fit the patient. Honestly I prefer a well specified van ambulance and they are more efficient to purchase and operate.

[kyle308]

from my limikted experiance im a type III person. such as an E-450, its not huge. But has enough room to perate nicely without being smashed in a type II

[AnthonyM83]

That's for the fat person calls

[zzyzx]

For a short while we used to have one of those European-style, Mercedes-built ambulances (I think they were badged as American Le-France). I really liked it but most people didn't. They thought looked it too wimpy with it's narrow body and little wheels. America right now is really in love with the rugged, bigger-is-better look. I remember the designer of the current Ford F-150 truck talking about how his design team wanted to make the truck look bigger and tougher than the old model. It's kinda like how in the early 60s designers were all about making cars look longer, wider, lower. I think this mentality is slowly changing as we are becoming more worried about the environment and gas prices.

[dahlio]

Everyone is too used to their nice big Type III ambulances, and once they have big, they don't want to go back. I've been in a Type II ambulance as well, and I find it ample room. Then again, when you have equipment such as monitors, drug bags and the works, I can see where the extra room comes in handy.

People are scared of change, and don't want to go away from what they are used too. It took my squad a long time to stop looking at Horton boxes, and look at other company's as well. The same has gone for chassis. Before I was an EMT, there mentality was that oh, bigger, better. The same trucks today have had tons of problems, and many people now realize what a big waste it was. You really need to sit down and think; What does my ambulance need.

It's not just the environment you need to think about, it's also the fuel economy, the upkeep costs of a truck, and whether or not the upfront cost will be putting you in a deficit. The MTA

(edit: sorry, MTA is a big transportation company running New York City's bus and subway system) in New York has hybrid buses, why not hybrid ambulances?

Anyone notice, the bigger rigs usually belong to fire departments....compensating for something?

[NCemtB]

The service I currently work for uses both the Type II and III ambulance. My only complaints are the walls of the Type II slope in towards the top so being a taller person you have to sit sort of hunched over, add to that the lower ceiling height it can make for an uncomfortable day if you spend a lot of time in the patient compartment. I also prefer the Type III because the cot can be mounted in the center of the floor and not on one side, allowing you to sit in the CPR seat to access the right side of the patient instead of having to lean over the patient as in the Type II. As far as stowing gear, we carry the same equipment on both types of trucks with no fitment or space issues.

[AnthonyM83]

I have to say that in critical traumas having a mod/box instead of a van makes a difference in patient care.

We run 1 medic + one EMT in the back (plus driver EMT) and when patients are altered, actively hemorrhaging, and trying to get out of c-spine, ambulance, and pulling IV out, it's much easier to get BPs, restrain arms to get IVs, apply restraints, and do physical assessment from both sides of the cot.

[Timmy]

These are the 2007 model sprinters that a lot of Australia’s ambulance service are going into. I think there quiet sizey.

Theses are the 2006 model? Most Aussie services use these as primary trucks.

I’ve worked out of sprinters a few times and think there great. I’m not aware of any real substantial complaints. Apart from slowish exhalation from being a diesel engine but that doesn’t really matter.