EMS Safety Concept Ambulance on Display
September 15, 2006, DENVER — A one-of-a-kind safety concept ambulance will be
on public display at the Colorado Department of Public
Health and Environment in Denver on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2006,
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
American Medical Response and American Emergency Vehicles
jointly developed this concept vehicle as part of research on
reducing safety risks in the emergency medical services
industry.
"Safety is the number one priority of both the department
and the State Emergency Medical and Trauma Services Advisory
Council as we look to develop and improve patient
transportation in Colorado," said Dennis E. Ellis, executive
director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment, which administers the state's Emergency Medical
Services and Trauma Program. "We continually work to improve
Colorado's full range of emergency medical services and to
ensure that high-quality emergency medical services continue
to be provided throughout urban, suburban and rural Colorado
in the most effective and safe manner possible."
Dr. Nadine Levick, a nationally recognized authority on
ambulance crash worthiness, spoke at the Colorado Department
of Public Health and Environment in January 2006, citing
several national studies that have identified the dangers
facing emergency medical services professionals, which mostly
occur en route to or from emergency calls.
The display of the concept vehicle comes at a time when the
State Emergency Medical and Trauma Services Advisory Council
is taking several different approaches toward improving
ambulance safety. The Transportation Committee of the Advisory
Council is dealing directly with patient transport issues, and
the Advisory Council's Resource Committee is looking at ways
to enhance the provider grants program so it includes payment
for safety features on vehicles.
The concept ambulance features numerous innovations that
protect emergency medical technicians, patients, other
motorists and pedestrians from injury. The innovations also
help ambulance teams save time in reaching emergency scenes
and link easily with hospital personnel. Innovations in the
concept vehicle include:
- Improved seating and restraints that allow two emergency
medical technicians to treat patients while wearing safety
belts (introduced because emergency medical technicians in
today's ambulances often must ride unrestrained in order to
provide patient care);
- External cameras and, inside the cab, a video monitor
that help ambulance operators avoid colliding with another
vehicle or other object;
- A device that changes red lights to green at
appropriately-equipped intersections;
- External lights alerting other motorists that medical
treatment is underway on board the vehicle;
- A Road Safety® "black box" on-board computer system
(similar to aircraft black boxes) that records vehicle
speed, monitors the driver's safety behaviors (such as use
of turn signals) and warns the driver about maneuvers that
exceed pre-set safety parameters;
- Highly reflective paint that makes the vehicle more
conspicuous;
- Cabinets designed to lower the risk of injury for anyone
who falls against them;
- In Motion® on-board mobile network gateway and GPS
tracking;
- Marvlis® vehicle routing and mapping systems, and
wireless medical reporting that save time, ensure accuracy
and protect confidentiality in identifying patients,
documenting treatment and sharing data with hospital staff.
- The concept vehicle will stop in Denver as it travels to
Las Vegas for the Emergency Medical Services Expo to be held
Sept. 25-29, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is
located at 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South in Denver and no
appointment is necessary to see the concept vehicle.
For more information about the Emergency Medical and Trauma
Services Section or the State Emergency Medical and Trauma
Services Advisory Council, please visit
www.coems.info. For
questions, please contact the Emergency Medical and Trauma
Services Section at 303-692-2987.
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