Winter Park Fire Rescue Helps to Design a Safer Ambulance for Firefighters and Patients

Winter Park Firefighters are setting the pace again. This time the department is being credited with a new and innovative design for the city's two new Paramedic Rescue units which may just change the way these vehicles are designed in the future. It was more than eighteen months ago when members of the Department began working closely with manufactures to make these vehicles safer for our firefighters. The first priority was to improve attendant safety through the EMS experience. Click here for rescue specifications.

New Rescue 61 Ready for Service

In order to treat patients effectively paramedics are often required to ride in the back of an ambulance unrestrained. Given the location of the equipment and controls in older units it was impossible to treat patients and remain safely belted. While we have not experienced any serious accidents involving our ambulances, our leadership realized this environment was not designed to allow a safe operation. When it was time to replace the ambulances in Winter Park, EMS Supervisor Lieutenant / Paramedic Andrew (A.J.) Isaacs led the team who are credited for this new design. Lieutenant Isaacs looked at the workspace and performed hours of research to determine what environment would be the safest for our paramedics.

It was concluded that to fix the problem, the patient area would need to be redesigned; the ergonomics of an ambulance's patient compartment had not been considered in this way before. That's when Medtec Ambulance Inc, of Goshen, Indiana stepped up to the plate.

Each vehicle contains a much safer workspace for our firefighters where in many cases they can remain seated and secured in a five-point harnessed attendant seat, a true ambulance industry first. Others are seeing the benefit of Winter Park's safer ambulance design. Firefighters and paramedics from numerous other agencies, as well as the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), are extremely interested incorporating many of these new safety features in their units and recommendations.

Fire Chief Jim White said of the new design, "I am very proud to see the creativity and innovative ideas of our staff come to fruition. We are convinced that the changes incorporated in these vehicles will make the job safer for our firefighters."

The Five-Point Safety Harness is the key to the redesigned Action Safe area.
Paramedics can remain restrained and treat a vast majority of patients while en route
to local hospitals. Lieutenant / EMS Supervisor A.J. Isaacs demonstrate the positioning
of the Action Safe Side Seat with the Five-Point Safety Harness.

A large part of avoiding accidents is being seen...
These new units incorporate high intensity reflective markings in a chevron pattern
making the rear of the vehicles more visible to motorist during highway operations.
Video monitoring cameras are located to the rear and in the patient compartment
to provide the driver / operator an additional field of vision while backing the unit.

Keeping You Cool...
Keeping the patient compartment cool and comfortable in the hot Florida heat
is vital to quality patient care. These new units have two independent air conditioning
systems. The "chassis" system operates independently from the patient compartment
air conditioning system which is powered by an on-board hydraulic generator while
on the road and by a shore line while in quarters.