New Stair Chair

[SafetyPro2]

Well, while I was in Oz, our highly-anticipated new stair chair came in.

The old one was a pretty basic model. Plastic fabric seat over a "lawn chair" frame (about 1 inch tubular steel) and fold up stubby handles by the feet and shoulders. Chest, lap and ankle belts, and no foot rest (just the front lower frame).

The new one's a Stryker STAIR-PRO 6252. Typical Stryker construction (hefty yellow tubular steel like the gurneys). Molded plastic seat. Telescoping lower front handles and fold up upper rear ones. Telescoping hoop that comes up vertically from the back with an adjustable head rest/restraint. And, best of all, treads which fold back at an angle from the back. This allows you to literally roll the chair down stairs rather than carrying.

We tried it tonight in drill, and man oh man, its 1,000 times better than the old one. Still takes 2 rescuers, but the effort is much less than carrying the PT. As one of the people who often gets stuck carrying the loaded stair chair down (due to my size), i definitely am looking forward to using this one.

Only problem is that its significantly bigger than the old one and doesn't fit in the interior compartment on the ambo where we used to stow the old one. Instead, its now strapped to the front bulkhead, which limits visibility from the driver's seat to the PT compartment. Its also heavier (almost 32 lbs), which isn't too big of a deal except when carrying it into a scene.

Here's the pic from Stryker's website in case anyone's interested. And no, this isn't a commercial...just excitied about our new toy.

 

[TTLWHKR]

Unfortunately, as EMS equipment from the past is made to be more modern, and improved upon; they seem to be making everything much larger. On our sprinters, there is a open space right inside the rear doors where we keep the short board, KED, scoop, and splints. The old stair chair fit fine. We bought the same kind you have there, and damned if they wouldn't fit-even w/ the other stuff removed. So for now, all of the new chairs are in their boxes waiting for larger ambulances.

 

[Jon]

My one squad has them. The answer they took to make it fit in the cute little mini-mod - it sits in the passageway between the front and the back.

I actually like Ferno's versoin better - the teads are just off the ground enough that you can swivel the chair, with the stryker, the treads drag.


Jon

 

[rescuecpt]

I like the new stair chairs... much better than the old kind that was indirectly responsible for the broken vertebra rattling around in my lumbar...

 

[SafetyPro2]

Yeah, after having the ambulance last night, I'm even less enthused about the place where the new chair is mounted. It blocks the cabinet under the airway seat (which is where we keep our isolation kit and restraints, and now the burn kit too. So, to get any of those items, you have to remove the stair chair first. And like I said before, you really can't see into the PT compartment from the driver's seat...before I could look in the rear-view mirror and at least see the PT care EMT...now you can't.

We're in the same boat as far as storage space. We run Ford E-350 Type IIs, so we're very tight. The only exterior compartment is the one behind the driver's seat, which just has space for the SCBA and a set of turnouts. The KED and Sager are jammed into a small compartment over the inside of the rear doors, which can be difficult to open at times.

One neat thing we have is a pocket for the CPR board behind the front passenger seat. When the side PT compartment doors are open, its accessible right next to the shelves where the O2, AED and trauma box sit. Our three "long boards" (backboard, Miller board and scoop stretcher) slide into slots under the bench seat from the rear doors.

 

[Jon]

Yeah.. my one squad mounts it there... it sucks.


What I like is something I've seen on some of FDNY's rigs - mounting the stair-chair to the inside of the curbside door.


My one squad has it in the drivers' rear compartment on a e350 Horton, so we aren't real pressed for space.

jon

 

[SafetyPro2]

Originally posted by MedicStudentJon@May 6 2005, 06:57 PM
Yeah.. my one squad mounts it there... it sucks.


What I like is something I've seen on some of FDNY's rigs - mounting the stair-chair to the inside of the curbside door.


My one squad has it in the drivers' rear compartment on a e350 Horton, so we aren't real pressed for space.

jon

That makes sense...they probably use it on most every call due to the number of multi-story residences they have. Don't think it'd work on ours though.

 

[ffemt8978]

We wedged ours in next to our ambulance O2 cylinders and backboards. It's a tight fit, but it works. I'll try to post pics when I can.

 

[CodeSurfer]

San Diego boxes carry it under the bench, seems to work well... nothing else is ever really under there.

 

[emtbuff]

what ever you do make sure you train on using it cuz that is one thing I still don't know how to make it set up and go back to original shape. So make sure you train. I will come in handy

 

[ffemt8978]

Okay, here are the photos of how we store ours. It's basically the same in every one of our ambulances. It's a very tight fit, but it works.

 

[emtd29]

I guess we should consider ourselves lucky at my squad... we have the Strykers and believe it or not, they fit in the curb side rear compartment right where the old ones used to be, albeit a little tighter

Those chairs RULE!!!!!!!!!

They've saved a few backs already

 

[ECC]

You can use hooks found @ Home Depot to mount it to the curbside door for either the equipment compartment or the passenger cabin. Just put it where you like it best with a couple of sheet metal screws!

I liked the old FDNY versions...stubby little handles (never actually use them...hold the FRAME!) nothing extends or retracts...weighed in @ 10 or so lbs. Very good for 2-person crews.

We did have the extended handle versions for a little while and they broke...at the worst times! I personally like to keep it simple when it comes to patient carrying devices.