[Squaw Man Wolfer]

All of the ambulances I see on the road appear to be built stronger than a Brink's armored car.

Very heavy, look like they get about 6 mpg.

Not critical, just curious. Why?

 

[aaronrkelly]

Originally posted by Squaw Man Wolfer
All of the ambulances I see on the road appear to be built stronger than a Brink's armored car.

Very heavy, look like they get about 6 mpg.

Not critical, just curious. Why?

To get the most service life.....

 

[00blkgt]

I wish they were built like an armored car ( A lot of my run area is in the "HOOD". We use the Freightliner Medical Attack Vehicle that is a push button automatic with a turbo charged Catipillar Diesel engine. It is a large ambulance that must carry a considerable amount of gear. Two people man the ambulance and I certainly appreciate the ability of being able to look over the roofs of most vehicles. This aids in the ability of safely crossing intersections during emergency responses. This grade of commercial heavy duty truck provides the durability needed for a heavily abuse truck ( I.E. full throttle long distance responses. )
J

 

[DTD2]

Editted for bandwidth

 

[D25]

Originally posted by 00blkgt
I wish they were built like an armored car ( A lot of my run area is in the "HOOD". We use the Freightliner Medical Attack Vehicle that is a push button automatic with a turbo charged Catipillar Diesel engine. It is a large ambulance that must carry a considerable amount of gear. Two people man the ambulance and I certainly appreciate the ability of being able to look over the roofs of most vehicles. This aids in the ability of safely crossing intersections during emergency responses. This grade of commercial heavy duty truck provides the durability needed for a heavily abuse truck ( I.E. full throttle long distance responses. )
J

I really like the Freightliners when I am driving, but in the box, they feel you're in a washing machine. We did 60 mile interfacility transfers on a winding highway, and everyone would get out a little greener than they started :freak: :rollsmiley: :supergrin: . But like I said, I really like driving them for the reasons you mentioned.

To answer the original question, they are tank-like because you can't fit an ICU into a Honda Civic.

 

[Squaw Man Wolfer]

It seems like these vehicles would have zero turning characteristics, and be very bad on ice.

Not being critical, just want comments from those who drive and use them.

And wahat IS that mpg?

 

[D25]

I just checked out the fuel logs on our Ford/Medix E350, and it we get about 14 MPG, but these are not humungous ambulances like the Freightliners. They certainly arn't "nimble" when it comes to turning radius, but with a set of studded tires and compitent driving, they behave very predictably on ice.

 

[lexmedic157]

Squaw Man Wolfer,
If you are wondering why ambulances look like tanks, and had you way, how would you make ambulances look? Maybe it's time to develop a new idea.

 

[Tvov]

Remember the classic Cadillac ambulances? God, I always loved those. Coolest looking vehicles.

Also remember -- "back then", an ambulance was designed to quickly transport a patient to better medical care. Basically, medics would wrap a wound, put the patient in back, and take off.

Today, as mentioned previously, ambulances are practically rolling Intensive Care Units. A regular car chassis/frame simply isn't designed to carry all the weight of the equipment that modern ambulances carry, and also provide the room necessary for multiple EMS people working on a patient.

Okay, I've got to go look up some Cadillac ambulance pictures!!

 

[Tvov]

Here's a link for a picture of an ambulance similar to what my town had back in the early '70s. We had two that I remember, one was red color, the other gold (I liked the gold one better!). This one is yellow color.

http://www.northlandpcs.com/Museum/GeneralImage/70SupTwinVal.jpg

 

[obxprnstar]

Where I work we have the box mounted on an E-450 chassis. Prior to that we had the E-350's and pre that we had the vanbulance. My county is about 100 miles from tip to tip, plus we do interfacility transfers. The van's just were'nt cutting it. They were cramped, couldn't carry the weight, and were just plain unsafe in the purpose we were using them for, I love the ride, and space of the 450.

MPG on the 450 is an avg of 10 mpg. Keep in mind that they are nowhere near as aerodynamic as a Honda Civic.

 

[Parmaboy]

here is the best picture I could find of the ambulance i drive

http://www.emscleveland.net/images/event2004bb.gif

I have to reinforce what the others say, we are like a mobile ICU to some aspects. We have plenty of gear for lots of situations. Also these ambulances need to be built strong because the city streets are only composed of pot holes in some areas. Try ripping down a street full of potholes at 45mph and see how long the ambualance lasts ;-)

Now if only they could actually put armor on them ;-) People over rate them when it comes to accidents, they will stil crumple up if they are hit by anything near their size. I have never had it happen to me but heard rumors of people shooting at the big yellow (or lime whatever color you call it) vehicles when they drive around on newyears eve at midnight!

 

[TerraMedicX]

Why are they built like tanks!?!? HAVE YOU SEEN US DRIVE!?!?!?! :shocked:

They're built like tanks 'cause we would DESTROY anything less! We accellerate hard, brake hard, take turns too fast...hell if those ambulances wern't built the way they are, we'd have them on their sides and break drive shafts on a weekly basis! Like those van-type ambulances...Those things roll REALLY easy!

As for MPG...our old Fords get about 12 mpg, but a few years ago we got a Chevy chasis that gets a little better and last year we got a brand-new GMC chasis that gets almost 20!! Great news with gas prices killing most budgets...(although we just had our mill-levy pass last week! YEA hopefully getting a raise!)


Nate.

 

[obxprnstar]

Originally posted by TerraMedicX
Why are they built like tanks!?!? HAVE YOU SEEN US DRIVE!?!?!?! :shocked:

They're built like tanks 'cause we would DESTROY anything less! We accellerate hard, brake hard, take turns too fast...hell if those ambulances wern't built the way they are, we'd have them on their sides and break drive shafts on a weekly basis! Like those van-type ambulances...Those things roll REALLY easy!

Drive it like ya stole it.

Here is a rear/side pic of one of our E-450's on scene with a FD.

 

[oldstyle]

"Dumb question, but why are ambulances built like TANKS?"

Bigger, "redder", and louder is safer in traffic. The bigger it is, the more likely people are to yield to you. I'm sure this isn't a reason to build like tanks, but it sure is true!

 

[TerraMedicX]

Unfortunately, they apparently arn't built ENOUGH like tanks:

One paramedic and the patient's mother died in this wreck Tuesday. Two more EMT/Paramedics (including the driver) survived as well as the patient, who gave birth late yesterday to a baby boy (she was being transferred for a high-risk delivery to a Denver area hospital). Please keep the families and survivors in your thoughts and prayers!

Complete Story


Nate.

 

[Victory]

I can't imagine how you'd demolish a buss like that trying to pass on the left...

 

[akulahawk]

I used to get slightly better than our fleet average: 9-12 MPG, depending upon the vehicle. Then again, I drove like the proverbial "old lady" most of the time, but could give NASCAR drivers a run for their money when I needed to. :supergrin:

OHT, I have seen first hand the result when an ambulance hits a tree at 35 MPH. Ambulance drivetrains and suspensions are built like TANKS but the vehicle bodies don't normally fare so well...

Originally posted by TerraMedicX
Why are they built like tanks!?!? HAVE YOU SEEN US DRIVE!?!?!?! :shocked:

They're built like tanks 'cause we would DESTROY anything less! We accellerate hard, brake hard, take turns too fast...hell if those ambulances wern't built the way they are, we'd have them on their sides and break drive shafts on a weekly basis! Like those van-type ambulances...Those things roll REALLY easy!

As for MPG...our old Fords get about 12 mpg, but a few years ago we got a Chevy chasis that gets a little better and last year we got a brand-new GMC chasis that gets almost 20!! Great news with gas prices killing most budgets...(although we just had our mill-levy pass last week! YEA hopefully getting a raise!)


Nate.

 

[akulahawk]

I love the look of the Cadillac ambulances, but they just aren't very good for doing patient care when the NICU patient comes with 3 members of the flight team... and you still have to be back there with them. Or for those times you need 3 extra firefighters to help out with that patient you just got... :frown:

Originally posted by Tvov
Remember the classic Cadillac ambulances? God, I always loved those. Coolest looking vehicles.

Also remember -- "back then", an ambulance was designed to quickly transport a patient to better medical care. Basically, medics would wrap a wound, put the patient in back, and take off.

Today, as mentioned previously, ambulances are practically rolling Intensive Care Units. A regular car chassis/frame simply isn't designed to carry all the weight of the equipment that modern ambulances carry, and also provide the room necessary for multiple EMS people working on a patient.

Okay, I've got to go look up some Cadillac ambulance pictures!!

 

[nsb22]

As was mentioned above, we beat the crap out of 'em, therefore they are built like tanks!

The FD I volunteer for has one Type III on a E-450 chassis and is a monster, but fun to drive! The other is a Type-III on an E-350 chassis and is just as fun to drive!

My part time job uses both Type-III's and Type-II's,aka vanbulance! The Type-II's truly suck due to stability and space in the back!

Have you ever had a 400 pound patient in the back of a vanbulance? It truly sucks, especially when I am 230 pounds myself!

The goofy thing is the van's get the same MPG's as the bigger units that we!