What is the most important tool of the paramedic?
The ambulance
What are federal ambulance standards based on?
DOT KKK 1822D
What are ambulance standards based on according to state law?
Texas EMS Act
What is the accreditation standard for ambulances?
Committee on Accreditation of Ambulance services, Committee on accreditation of air medical services
Conventional truck cab chassis with a modular ambulance body
Type 1
Standard van body, usually modified in height and length.
Type 2
Standard van chassis with modular bodies
Type 3
True truck chassis with large modular body
Medium Duty
Fire department staffing model
Constant staffing
Staffing based on geographical location, reliability, pt demand, traffic congestion, location of hospitals.
Peak loading staffing or cyclic patterns
Type of deployment strategy that includes computerized personnel and ambulance deployment system. Units are to be rearranged as each call comes in and is dispatched
System status management
Type of deployment strategy that allows different vehicles to arrive at different times, often with different levels of care
Provides efficient use of limited resources
Tiered response system
When does the majority of ambulance collisions occur?
In daylight when weather is not a factor
What are ambulance drivers doing when most collisions happen
Backing
What type of impact are injuries from ambulance collisions likely to occur from ?
Lateral impacts
Where are ambulance collisions most common?
Intersections
What are factors on stopping distance ?
Human perception time
Human reaction time
Vehicle reaction time
Vehicle braking capacity
Calculation of stopping distance
Speed, weight, and friction
In an ambulance how much greater is the stopping distance compared to an SUV
2-3 x
In a response with multiple vehicles, who should lead?
The vehicle with the longest stopping distance
What changes actual stopping distance and reaction time ?
Weather and visibility
What is a due regard for safety in driving mean?
It places the responsibility for ambulance operation on the driver and the drivers judgement. It allows the driver to exceed posted speed and traffic controls (IF safe)
-makes all ambulance collisions the fault of the driver
