Florida fire team gets up-to-date rescue vehicle on tight budget

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Though it might see incongruous, ambulances can be made safer but still be affordable. All it takes is the right mix of experience, practicality, innovation, persistence and forward thinking — both inside and outside of the box (pun intended).

Backed by Winter Garden (Fla.) Fire Department Chief John Williamson and working with a budget under $200,000, I led a small committee of EMTs and paramedics with some very innovative ideas on a journey to bring a new style of EMS transport unit to our rescue department.

At the end of the two-year journey, a unique ambulance built by Medtec emerged that boasted significant advancements in eight specified areas: attendant safety; patient safety; lay public safety; bariatric transport; dual-patient transport; functional ergonomics; unit decontamination; and future technology. This is in addition to a dozen industry firsts and numerous design details that were intended to assist crew members in every phase of EMS delivery: readiness; response; transport; decontamination and return to service.

Read the entire story from FIRE CHIEF, our sister publication.

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