NFPA Draft 1917 for Ambulance Specs

[FredG]

Has anybody =looked over the NFPA Draft for Ambulance Specs, numbered 1917? Here's a link:

http://www.nfpa.org/Assets/files/AboutTheCodes/1917/NFPA1917Draft.pdf

Aside from the fact that this is being proposed from a fire mentality, I think it has quite a few interesting points and some definite safety advantages. I would have preferred something like this to come from a group composed primarily of EMS providers.

The requirement that all controls be easily accessible and within reach of a medical provider with the patient and seat belted is a good idea. I also like the idea of mandating a system to alert the driver if any compartment or equiptment drawer is not secure. The idea of alerting the driver and recording whether a seat is occupied and if the seat belt is engaged is also a good idea, but I think there needs to be a provision for an override, for those 2% of calls of that actually require EMTs or medics to move around. In those cases, I don't think having a flashing light or alert in the driver's compartment is a good idea.

Having a 48 hour recording data unit is a bit of overkill for many services. I can see it as a benefit for larger services that want to track driver performance, but a large part of the day, the vehicle is sitting idle or you have different crews on different shifts, etc. I would prefer a mandate for 5 or 10 minutes of recording before an accident with the option to upgrade to 48 hours, if the service deems it necessary.

The NFPA proposal also governs engine speed to a maximum of 60 mph. I can see this as a benefit for city based services. But, I don't agree with this for rural areas where the highway speed limit is 65 mph and we have 45+ mile transports to the nearest Trauma center or Cath Lab. I would prefer to see the engine governed around 75 mph. That would allow long distance transports to go the speed limit and allow for a little extra for passing.

I also like the fact that NFPA has decided to require stress testing the module from top and side pressure. However, not being an engineer, I am not sure if testing at 2.5 times the weight of the vehicle is enough. I also think there needs to be testing done on corner crush points and a requirement for side impact testing of a smaller more focused impact, similar to a SUV at say 45 mph.

I haven't read the entire 83 pages, but these were the points that stood out for me. Most of the mechanical standards sounded reasonable, with wiring requirements, load capacity, load shedding, etc.

What does everybody think of this and should we, as EMS providers start submitting our comments before the deadline of Dec 15th, so we at least have some kind of voice instead of just having this pushed onto us.

[CBEMT]

$200,000 ambulances, here we come....