# Grants/Funding for new Stryker Stretchers?



## Hockey (Apr 26, 2009)

As most of you know, my new place has some old school POS Ferno stretchers.  Its a small agency (4 bases) with approximately 10 rigs. (4-5 of them running at a time).  

I hear all the time about Homeland Security grants and people writing a grant to get the funding for some new stretchers.  I talked with management and they said if I can get a hold of the funds, I can get this.  This is the only EMS company I know of besides a few (FEW) probably that use these old Ferno's.

So how do you get funding for these?  How do you write a grant for this?  I've seen it before where you can get even the Power Stryker's if you ask the right way.


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## Chimpie (Apr 26, 2009)

Do you have a contact with Stryker yet?  Maybe a local rep?

Many companies have grant templates that you can use to create one for your company/agency.


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## Sasha (Apr 26, 2009)

Hockey9019 said:


> As most of you know, my new place has some old school POS Ferno stretchers.  Its a small agency (4 bases) with approximately 10 rigs. (4-5 of them running at a time).
> 
> I hear all the time about Homeland Security grants and people writing a grant to get the funding for some new stretchers.  I talked with management and they said if I can get a hold of the funds, I can get this.  This is the only EMS company I know of besides a few (FEW) probably that use these old Ferno's.
> 
> So how do you get funding for these?  How do you write a grant for this?  I've seen it before where you can get even the Power Stryker's if you ask the right way.



Why would you want power strykers? It's an extra 50 pounds to lift when the battery fails.


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## Hockey (Apr 26, 2009)

Chimpie said:


> Do you have a contact with Stryker yet?  Maybe a local rep?
> 
> Many companies have grant templates that you can use to create one for your company/agency.



Nope, nothing yet.

Seriously, if I was in management, things would change.  I just feel bad for the men and women I work with also not getting good equipment.  I would at least like to see if I could help in getting some new stretchers in this place.  

They can have a rep come in and talk all day long.  But they are going to tell them they just don't have the funding.


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## Hockey (Apr 26, 2009)

Sasha said:


> Why would you want power strykers? It's an extra 50 pounds to lift when the battery fails.



Always carry another battery 


Honestly, the weight difference is the only con.  Its very nice to have, especially when you got a heavy one one the cot, which seems to be a LOT lately.  It saves your back


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## Sasha (Apr 26, 2009)

Hockey9019 said:


> Always carry another battery
> 
> 
> Honestly, the weight difference is the only con.  Its very nice to have, especially when you got a heavy one one the cot, which seems to be a LOT lately.  It saves your back



Haha. Not so much, if the person is a big bigger person, you're going to have to help it manually lift it beause the stretcher wont be able to raise itself on power alone. Also, a major draw back is the stretcher doesn't slide right into the truck, you hook it on, lift it up off the ground, and hold the button for the legs to retract up, which is where the fifty pounds will REALLY suck. One positive is you can two point it in getting it into the back. It's really more useful on the small big person and normal sized people.

What will save your back is proper lifting. Something you practice more with just a crappy manual stretcher.


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## Hockey (Apr 26, 2009)

Sasha said:


> Haha. Not so much, if the person is a big bigger person, you're going to have to help it manually lift it beause the stretcher wont be able to raise itself on power alone. Also, a major draw back is the stretcher doesn't slide right into the truck, you hook it on, lift it up off the ground, and hold the button for the legs to retract up, which is where the fifty pounds will REALLY suck. One positive is you can two point it in getting it into the back. It's really more useful on the small big person and normal sized people.
> 
> What will save your back is proper lifting. Something you practice more with just a crappy manual stretcher.




True, very true.  I dread the time we have to load them into the rig at the other agency. 


Heck, I'll even take used Strykers over the crap we have


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## Sasha (Apr 26, 2009)

Hockey9019 said:


> True, very true.  I dread the time we have to load them into the rig at the other agency.
> 
> 
> Heck, I'll even take used Strykers over the crap we have



I have a special place in my heart for fernos. Lighter, easier to clean, just look like crap.


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## Hockey (Apr 26, 2009)

Sasha said:


> I have a special place in my heart for fernos. Lighter, easier to clean, just look like crap.



Old skool! 


I "grew up" on Strykers.  I guess its just a tad more common sensy for me (which coming from me should mean a LOT)


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## Sasha (Apr 26, 2009)

Hockey9019 said:


> Old skool!
> 
> 
> I "grew up" on Strykers.  I guess its just a tad more common sensy for me (which coming from me should mean a LOT)



Not old school. Vintage chic


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## Hockey (Apr 26, 2009)

Sasha said:


> Not old school. Vintage chic



Vintage like


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## el Murpharino (Apr 26, 2009)

When I started, we used those POS ferno's...we still have one in service in our 3rd-out rig.  I always feel like they'll collapse under the weight of a normal person, but every time it works.  Recently I've been able to use the power stretchers, and as Sasha has mentioned, the weight is very noticeable.  There is, however, a light on the foot end that turns red when you have about 5 lifts left in the battery (the average DeWalt battery should have about 60 lifts in it), so you should have plenty of time to replace it before it gets to that point.  If you let the battery get so low that you can't use the power function, then you sort of deserve to have to do it manually.  I will admit, though, that it is a life-saver when you have that 300+ bedridden lady who gets severe SOB when she stands and pivots 3 steps.  

To the OP - another good investment would be the newer stryker stairchairs. http://www.stryker.com/en-us/produc...onEquipment/EmergencyCotsChairs/EMS/index.htm.  The similar Ferno models work just as well...just a matter of preference, I guess.  But do hang on to the old tri-fold stairchairs...there are times that they will be the chair of choice.

Good luck with your choices and grant writing.


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## Jon (Apr 26, 2009)

Sasha said:


> Haha. Not so much, if the person is a big bigger person, you're going to have to help it manually lift it beause the stretcher wont be able to raise itself on power alone. Also, a major draw back is the stretcher doesn't slide right into the truck, you hook it on, lift it up off the ground, and hold the button for the legs to retract up, which is where the fifty pounds will REALLY suck. One positive is you can two point it in getting it into the back. It's really more useful on the small big person and normal sized people.
> 
> What will save your back is proper lifting. Something you practice more with just a crappy manual stretcher.


Sasha,

Do you have actual hands-on experience with the MX-Power cots?

We've been using them for more than a year. We've NEVER needed to assist it in lifting (it will do 700lbs unassisted). We don't run out of battery power - we keep our spares on station, but you can put the spare on the truck if it is that much of a concern.

Yes... they weigh a little more. But it isn't that bad, and it makes my life easier.

The cost is the big kicker. Talk with Stryker and see what they can do for you. If you aren't in management, you need to get your management onboard with this - biggest arguement for it is that it reduces your lifting, therefore reducing lifting injuries, and workers comp claims.


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## Sasha (Apr 26, 2009)

> Do you have actual hands-on experience with the MX-Power cots?



Yes. My old company had a couple. I remember once we had a 500lb patient on it, and it was having a lot of trouble getting up. Maybe the battery was too low or ours just sucked. But it definitely was not a fun call.

And, I know of a couple of crews who were caught without a spare battery and had to manually lift the stretcher. Yes, their fault, but it's still an extra 50 pounds to lift. And NO machine is above equipment failure.

Also, one of the stations I precepted at had them.


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## reaper (Apr 26, 2009)

I think it is kinda funny that the younger folks are the ones that trash talk the power stretchers! LOL
I think they are the best invention to come to EMS in the last decade. I have never had one not lift a Pt, no matter the weight. Batteries do die, that is why you keep the charger in the truck with a spare on it. They are easier to load into the trucks and have saved many backs.

The extra weight is no big deal. I have a stairchair to move them down stairs, so I am not carrying the stretcher up the stairs!

We have them in every truck and would not give them up for anything.

OP, there are grants out there to get for them. They are very hard to get. You need to get with someone that is very experienced in grant writing to help you. If it is not written well, you will not get the grant!


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## TotowaEMT (Jun 22, 2009)

We applied for funding for 2 power cots and 2 stair chairs with tracks.  We are also using the old Ferno cots and the old ferno stair chairs as well.  Your narrative needs to be focused on safety.  Stryker came out and did a demo, and hooked us up with grant writing assistance.


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## Afflixion (Jun 22, 2009)

Sasha said:


> I have a special place in my heart for fernos. Lighter, easier to clean, just look like crap.



I also love the old Fernos as you said they're lighter and easier to clean and why would I care about the aesthetics of it...not like I'm riding a stretcher for dates. The Ferno is a great stretcher I don't care what you say though the Strykers are nice too but I honestly prefer a Ferno over them.


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## WuLabsWuTecH (Jun 23, 2009)

I used to have them at the place I worked, and they were great!

The batteries last for quite awhile, and we carried two spares around so I was only caught without a battery once, and everything had to go wrong in the wrong order for that to happen (the line wasn't plugged in by the returning crew the night before so the charger on the truck was not on, some newbie put an uncharged battery in the charged bucket, and we ran so many calls that day on heavier patients that our other fresh battery started to show red and we had an emergency run while returning to station to get a new battery).  I was usually able to go most 24s with only one battery.  Even with the battery out. lifting the cot was no problem.

Holding to load in the cot is also not a problem--you're holding up less than a quarter of the weight fror about 3-4 seconds.  Ditto with unloading.

The only time more than 2 people were required to operate the stretcher was when a 650+ lb woman called on abdominal pain.  We first tried to use the bari stretcher, but realized that was going to be more work than the regular power cot.  The problem is, yes, the power cots can lift up to 700 lbs, but thye're not made for a 700 lb person's width.  It took a lot of straps to get her secure.  Then, we had 4 people lift to hold the cot for the 3-4 second retracting time before pushing it in.  The reason we used so many people, besides the fact that it helped with the weight distribution among 4 people, was that at that point, the cot was EXTREMELY top heavy and spreading out people helped with the tipping issue.  Unloading was easier as we were met with 4 more fire guys to help stabilize and prevent tipping.

If I had to do it again, I would probably still choose the power cot over the bari cot, but I would call for manpower before to prevent the tipping issue from happening again.  It seemed a lot worse than it actually was, probably just because it was hard to get squared up again even after just a slight tipping, and the side of the truck would have probably stopped her from tipping completely (and she wouldn't fall since we had straps on her x100!) but it's something I would like to avoid in the future.


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## Katie Elaine (Jun 23, 2009)

My department got to "test run" one of the stryker stretchers.... They're terribly heavy, bulky, and the wait for the legs to lift is ridiculous. It adds more time to loading and unloading the stretcher. And it's somewhat narrow compared to our usual stretcher. It got to the point that we would switch the ambulances in order to use the strecher we preferred (the other ambo had the normal manual stretcher.)

when we had the vote to decide if we were going to keep it, and it was 40-1, manual stretcher for the win. More people showed up for that monthly meeting than ever, just to share their distaste for the power stretcher. <_<  

[/Hijack]

sorry, I just dislike them.


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## WuLabsWuTecH (Jun 23, 2009)

The time it adds to unloading and loading is minimal.  3 or 4 seconds at worst.  Extending is also about 3 to 4 seconds, but if it really irritates you that much on the unloading, you can pull the manual red handle on the right hand side (by the bottom hand hold) and gravity will drop out the undercarrage so unloading is no slower than with the manuals.  It will, however, be just as bumpy as the manuals if you do it that way.

Just my opinion, Katie, and you certainly are entitled to yours, but what difference does 3-4 seconds make especially if it cuts the weight you have to lift to nearly nothing for bringing the cot up to pushing level and less than 1/4 of the weight you have to lift normally when putting the stretcher in the truck?  Also, being able to adjust the height to within an inch of where you want it when moving a patient to the bed or from the bed saves your back does it not?

I agree that it can be harder to learn how to use and once you have used nearly instantaneous manuals all of your life it can seem like it's taking a week and a half for the undercarrage to retract, but I think that in the end it is well worth it!


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