Seats fold up out of the way, but swivel around to
face forward when down. They're tested to 20 Gs.
your hand or reach too far to the side) and
hands-free communications that prevent
loose mics in the cabin. Oslo's even gone
so far as to balance the main equipment
bags and portable oxygen tanks providers
carry into scenes: Each weighs about 6.5
kg, keeping a person carrying them in
balance. "Ergonomically," said Rolfsen,
"that's very good."
Beyond reducing many of the known
threats of the ambulance environment,
the rigs that resulted were also cheaper.
They maintained good fuel efficiency, and
for both services, their overall cost was
less than for the previous designs used in
purchase price alone, not counting fuel
savings.
"And a lot of the feedback I get is, boy,
our people like driving them," adds Swartz.
"They're easier to drive than the boxes,
and I think most people really understand
their safety aspects. They are, in my mind,
probably one of the safest ambulances you
can buy, because they meet all the automotive testing standards." •
REFERENCE
1. Levick NR, Fitzgerald C, Swartz J, Lukianov G, Rolfsen R,
Cooper A and the Innovation Consortium of the EMS Safety
Foundation. Safety and Operational Innovation: Integrating
Global Best Practice and Interdisciplinary Technical Expertise
into Ambulance Design. Poster presentation, NAEMSP, 2012.
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MARCH 2013 | EMSWORLD.com
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