Big Ambulance!

[TheAfterAffect]

So you will simply disagree without helping to educate and possibly persuade others to your cause by discussing your opinion and giving educated, reasonable, and well informed information as to why you feel this way?

So much for Education Advocate as your title suggests eh?

 

[karaya]

Uh huh, I hear a door getting ready to be slammed on this thread!

 

[redcrossemt]

...but I wanted to find out what the department that owns it says about it and its usefulness!

 

[HasTy]

So I was talking with some friends who work not far from Mount Horeb and apparenly it is a very well off town. The townsfolk would cringe if they saw a rig that was just a regular leader or wheeled coach ambulance. They are of the mind set that everything big is better.

 

[Hal9000]

If they have the money

Good for them to have big stuff. Is it absolutely necessary? Probably not. Could there be something more efficient? Probably. Is it wrong to have something so big? Nah. Probably safer in a wreck. Town likes it.

I work for a very large company which is often in trouble. I get tired of being cramped in tiny little vans, honestly. I also work for a smaller service, and we have nicer ambulances. They're much easier to work on and have plenty of supplies, and I bet they are safer, especially in the head strike zone. I like the mods of that service. Could we do it in something smaller? Yeah.

On the other hand, we are concerned about budget stuff, so rescue vehicles are separate. We carry less weight and gear each time, which saves money. We don't need a gazillion spineboards on every scene. If there is something that needs a rescue rig, it will be sent, and it can act as a full-blown ambulance.

The only concern I'd have with that ambulance is that it might have a hard time getting to some scenes, but I bet it isn't a primary truck.

I can't say that I have a problem with what they have if they have the money. It's a bit gaudy and semi-truckish, but I bet it's nicer in the back than a van.

 

[medicdan]

Okay, I am not going to going to argue cost v. use, but more of an environmental angle.
I applaud this company carrying MCI, HazMat, Incident Command equipment, etc, power to them. I am interested in how often they use this specialized equipment, as opposed to just a BLS medical calls. As someone indicated, this truck may carry heavy rescue equipment, extra SCBA tanks, or even a compressor. Does this equipment need to roll on medical calls. Do they need to pay for the fuel and maintenance to cart this stuff around town, if it isnt being used.

Wouldn't they be better off with a less sizable ambulance in addition to a SUV (with mobile command post, if they wish), and a set of trailers, that can be specialized. Maybe one for MCIs (Boards, blankets, etc,), another for HazMat, that can be deployed with the SUV? Let it all be pulled by the Chief SUVs, I dont care.

Am I making sense? Lower Fuel Costs+Specialized mobilization=cost savings, and the wealthy town can visit the new shiny trailers as often as they wish.

 

[Hal9000]

Okay, I am not going to going to argue cost v. use, but more of an environmental angle.
I applaud this company carrying MCI, HazMat, Incident Command equipment, etc, power to them. I am interested in how often they use this specialized equipment, as opposed to just a BLS medical calls. As someone indicated, this truck may carry heavy rescue equipment, extra SCBA tanks, or even a compressor. Does this equipment need to roll on medical calls. Do they need to pay for the fuel and maintenance to cart this stuff around town, if it isnt being used.

Wouldn't they be better off with a less sizable ambulance in addition to a SUV (with mobile command post, if they wish), and a set of trailers, that can be specialized. Maybe one for MCIs (Boards, blankets, etc,), another for HazMat, that can be deployed with the SUV? Let it all be pulled by the Chief SUVs, I dont care.

Am I making sense? Lower Fuel Costs+Specialized mobilization=cost savings, and the wealthy town can visit the new shiny trailers as often as they wish.

That's really what I was thinking. If they have money to drop, I guess good for them, but I bet it could be used for other causes. Still, it's their call.

 

[marineman]

No reply yet, volunteer department, they might not even know that they have an e-mail address. I just found out the other day that my volly department has a website but I still can't find it. If you guys get this thread shut down I'll have a CL start and lock one with the reply for those that are interested.

 

[AZFF/EMT]

Probably carries extrication gear, possibly TRT/HAZ gear, 4-5 firefighters along with associated fire gear(hand tools, saws, fan, generator, ect.). With fire based EMS these are not really a bad idea. Many places have trucks that look like this one but do not transpot and also do not have a tank or pump (called Heavy/Med rescues or Squads) So I think adding a patient transport capability is a great idea if used right.

I wish my dept had one, maybe I will research a grant for one in the coming years.

 

[AZFF/EMT]

More I look at it the more I love it. Man I would love outfitting a truck like that. Nice medium duty ALS rescue.

 

[Hockey]

For all those that are complaining, I just say your jealous you cant roll in one of them.

I know I would

 

[karaya]

Okay, I just did a brief telephone interview with someone at the Mount Horeb Fire Department. Very interesting!

The Rescue 40 ambulance was purchased for around $200,000 and all of the money to purchase Rescue 40 was raised entirely through a community fund raiser. Mount Horeb does receive part of their funding from tax dollars, but according to my source, the tax rate is very low. There is a very strong community support for this fire department.

They decided on a cab over chassis which enables better maneuverability and provides a crew cab large enough to accommodate firefighters and EMT'S since this vehicle responds to all fire calls as well. Several SCBA's are kept on board to accommodate the responding firefighters.

Two H tanks are kept on board. The extra H is required to supply the eight person O2 delivery during rehab, etc. A external box that supplies an eight port manifold can be removed from the vehicle and taken to the rehab area. The O2 is supplied via a shoreline O2 reel mounted in one of the outside compartments of Rescue 40.

Very impressive setup. I'm extremely impressed with their community support as well. Something that seems to be increasingly waning these days.

 

[MMiz]

Thread re-opened, lets keep it on topic.

 

[karaya]

Thread re-opened, lets keep it on topic.

Thank you for giving this another chance.

 

[medic417]

It is nice to see community support. With that kind of support and expectation they could and should have one of the highest paid services nationwide. I know if I was one of the well to do I would demand that we be protected 24/7 ALS and as money is not a problem no problem doing that. While this does serve several purposes I do still feel it could be accomplished in a better method. As someone mentioned the environmental impact responding in this all the time when there is actually very few calls that actually needs all of it is way to big a footprint. Maybe in a big system that has tons of calls that requires all the features I might get pulled over to agreeing with but in an area that actually will not use all the features I just can not despite the publics support for it agree with it. Just my opinion not an attack.

 

[AJ Hidell]

Thank you for giving this another chance.

Definitely. I wanted to see this thread go out with a bang of mass bannings, not just fizzle out like that.

 

[Nycxice13]

Uhhm....WHy not just get a MERV?...

 

[AJ Hidell]

Uhhm....WHy not just get a MERV?...

Because there's no room for 4 mechanical sirens and two bells on a MERV.

It's all about the lights and sirens in Whackerville, WI (aka. Mt. Horeb).

 

[HasTy]

Because there's no room for 4 mechanical sirens and two bells on a MERV.

It's all about the lights and sirens in Whackerville, WI (aka. Mt. Horeb).

Hey just because they have to have 4 mechanical sirens does not mean that they are whackers...they have a lot of community support that's a great thing granted I feel like there has to be some better way to provide a service than big rigs but you know something if it is equipped to do the job then who are we to tell them they cant have there big shiny toys.

 

[AJ Hidell]

...but you know something if it is equipped to do the job then who are we to tell them they cant have there big shiny toys.

That's the problem. It isn't equipped to do the job. Apparently, it's equipped to do everything except the job, lol.