OMG Type II's have gotten smaller

[firespec35]

OK here's a little background so you understand. I got my EMT at 19, My EMT-S shortly after, and worked for a couple of years pvt EMS mostly in Wheeled Coach type II's. Well I took a job about 9 years ago to do Security/ Fire and EMS at one of the Big 3's proving grounds. so I left the ambulance life. This year I go back for my medic. I end up doing clinicals at my old company in new rigs. OMG are they tiny now. It seems like they are about 6" skinnier (Left to right) and at least a foor shorter (front to back). I remember having a somewhat decent aisle for your feet while sitting on the bench. Yeah my feet go past the stretcher wheels at least 4-6" now and forget about sitting in the jump seat there is about 3" foot room before the stretcher.

Also granted I used the 2 man stretcher but it seems like the stretchers are all the way on the floor now too.

Sorry yall but WTF happened to my trucks.

[JakeEMTP]

All we use here are type I's and type III's. Some of the transport companies use the Vanbalances. I can empathise with your situation. It must be difficult to run EMS in such a confined space. I know some of the more seasoned posters here will revert to " we used to run it in a stationwagon".

I hope you can find your bigger ambulance somewhere. Rumour has it, they still make them. :wink:

P.S. Can you elaborate on what an EMT-S is? :?

[firespec35]

Emt-S is EMT- Specialist. I hear it is akin to EMT-I in the NR world. We can do Iv's, and intubation. Normally we would run on an ALS unit with a medic but there are LALS units too (2 EMT-S) but not too often. Essentially it's a dinosaur license. I got my EMT and EMT-S in MI before NREMT came in. Oh well that is all gonna change as soon as I pass MY NR for Medic.

[Richard B the EMT]

"Vanbulance?" Sounds like an existing brand-name that I may have used years ago.

Is the "Sprinter" type van of the type described?

Also, has anyone ever heard of something referred to, as a type 4? Perhaps that is something akin to a vehicle with box/modular back, riding on a medium duty type truck frame, or something looks like a "baby semi?"

There was, briefly, a movement to call old-style Hearse design ambulances a type 4, designating that they were only for display or parade details only, no patient transport allowed using it, but, sadly, it failed. I hated giving up my services' Caddy-lances!

[akroeze]

At my old service most of our spare trucks were Type II Demers trucks that were getting close to the end of their service life. I rarely had to use it to actually transport a patient but unfortunately my bad snow machine accident with two severe trauma patients I was in that truck. NOT fun to have two boarded patients in snow gear in the back of those things when one has a femur # that you need to get to the foot to assess. :evil:

[JakeEMTP]

"Vanbulance?" Sounds like an existing brand-name that I may have used years ago.

Is the "Sprinter" type van of the type described?

Also, has anyone ever heard of something referred to, as a type 4? Perhaps that is something akin to a vehicle with box/modular back, riding on a medium duty type truck frame, or something looks like a "baby semi?"

I wasn't aware of a real brand call vanbulance. We just call the Econoline or Sprinter type II's a vanbulance.

I think you are correct in your assessment of a type IV. A modular body on a medium duty chassis.

[Richard B the EMT]

I just googled a bit, and from what I think I found, "Vanbulance" is just a nickname for a type 2 Van Ambulance.

I did, however, find references to a "Modulance" (brand) ambulance maker, featuring type 3s. Peninsula VAC had at least 2 different models of them, something like 2 decades ago.

[Dustdevil]

I just googled a bit, and from what I think I found, "Vanbulance" is just a nickname for a type 2 Van Ambulance.

I did, however, find references to a "Modulance" (brand) ambulance maker, featuring type 3s. Peninsula VAC had at least 2 different models of them, something like 2 decades ago.

Yeah, Modulance (Modular Ambulance Corporation, Grand Prairie, Texas) was the pioneer. I believe they were the first to go full-scale production line with modular style ambulance conversions. First ones to run crash tests. First ones to go with dual alternators. They built the Type I used on "EMERGENCY!" (which was later bought and brought to Fort Worth, Texas, where Dr. Bledsoe worked in it as a paramedic). By the late 1970s, the market was saturated by a lot of other upstarts. By the late 1980s, a lot of those upstarts had become major players, providing a superior product, and Modulance faded with a whimper. Last I saw (a few years ago), the factory was still vacant.

[Richard B the EMT]

By the late 1980s, a lot of those upstarts had become major players, providing a superior product, and Modulance faded with a whimper.

This was probably an unintended "oops", but Superior was and is a brand name of ambulance. I loved their caddy-lances.

[Dustdevil]

This was probably an unintended "oops", but Superior was and is a brand name of ambulance. I loved their caddy-lances.

Ooooh! Good catch!

I hate it when I pun accidentally. :oops: