# cot lifts for ambulance



## TraprMike (Mar 3, 2014)

http://www.macslift.com/amblifts2.html

We are looking at getting a power cot lift. not a power cot, but one that is body mounted. 

We in MN have lots of snow and ice. To go along with that sand, salt and slush. 

Anybody have thoughts and experiances on these issues in northern states?? 

the lift we are looking at is the one in the link. 

Info on service: small town USA BLS 30 vollys, limited budget. 230 calls per year.


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## mycrofft (Mar 3, 2014)

Hydraulic lifts in very cold weather can be balky and jerky. Solid metal decks on them can be icy, or slippery to ice-clogged boot soles.


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## NomadicMedic (Mar 3, 2014)

The Stryker Power Load cot lift system is all the rage here. Seems to work. I have a couple of Brit ambo friends who constantly complain about about the tail lifts on their trucks.


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## Tigger (Mar 3, 2014)

Ferno is coming out with their own system called the INX sometime this year but there isn't much available online. A rep showed my boss a video of it a few weeks ago and apparently we will be purchasing them as soon as they are released. 

It loads itself without the carriage that the powerload has, I'm pretty curious to see how that works.


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## TraprMike (Mar 4, 2014)

thanks MyCroft.  yes I assume the oil would be a big part. keeping it warm. wonder how much it would cool down in 15 or 20 min though. I'm trying to find an ambulance service in MN, IA, WI or other cold states that have this system. 
 DE Medic, I like the idea of totally inside the box. thanks. researching that now also


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## NJEMT95 (Mar 5, 2014)

One of the services near me in NJ has something similar. It seems to work well for them.


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## mycrofft (Mar 5, 2014)

I always had a hillbilly idea (I've been in the Ozarks!) of an electric winch in the ambulance and two boards you put out the back to the ground as a ramp…like for a go-kart?<_<


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## Handsome Robb (Mar 5, 2014)

mycrofft said:


> I always had a hillbilly idea (I've been in the Ozarks!) of an electric winch in the ambulance and two boards you put out the back to the ground as a ramp…like for a go-kart?<_<



You'd like our Bariatric unit. 

Ramps and a 2500lbs winch. 

The cot also has handles so we don't ever have to lift it off the ground. Just push it around like one of the flat bed carts at Costco.


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## cruiseforever (Mar 6, 2014)

DEmedic said:


> The Stryker Power Load cot lift system is all the rage here. Seems to work. I have a couple of Brit ambo friends who constantly complain about about the tail lifts on their trucks.



HCMC Ambulance in Minneapolis uses the Power load.  I have yet to hear a bad thing bout the Power Load from them.


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## WolfmanHarris (Mar 6, 2014)

We did a limited trial of Powerload two years ago and did a service wide (40 vehicles) roll out this year. The power load has been universally loved by crews. To the extent that they've had issues with vehicle deficiencies not being reported because crews didn't want to switch into a spare which wasn't power load equipped and a memo being sent out reminding crews that not having power load was not grounds to refuse a truck under WSIB.

We've had a couple of small issues with failure of the system where is has jammed. Apparently the problem is linked to a small plastic part that can fail and Stryker is replacing the part with a stronger one in later runs and sending out a retrofit pack at some point. Even that problem can be corrected in the field fairly easily. To my knowledge we have had no significant failures of the system even in the extremely cold winter we've had.


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## TraprMike (Mar 10, 2014)

cruiseforever said:


> HCMC Ambulance in Minneapolis uses the Power load.  I have yet to hear a bad thing bout the Power Load from them.



they shouldn't complain too much at $40,000 installed. our new ambulance last year was $92,000. 
the one I posted was 12 grand installed.


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## Rick Tresnak (Sep 9, 2014)

We picked up a $24,669.00 powerload.


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