Unusual Fire Truck Fire truck/ambulance combo

firebuffkevin

firebuffkevin

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Nov 27, 2008
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Fire truck/ambulance combo

Some departments around the world are using a fire truck and ambulance hybrids. The apparatus come equipped with a built-in ambulance in the middle, allowing crews to use just one vehcile to be prepared for a scene. The catch-all vehicle also comes with a special lift system for stretchers.

http://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/sltrib/news/54987518-78/fire-ambulance-vehicle-lift.html.csp
 
I see very few places where this would be a good use of resources.  You're taking a engine company that's worth at least 5 or 6 times the cost of an ambulance and putting additional mileage on it running back and forth to hospitals.  In the meantime you are also taking an engine company out of service for an extended period of time.  Even if you look at it for a rural situation I don't see its usefulness.  In that case you could argue that they run a very limited number of ambulance calls which is true but in most cases they have a much longer run to the hospital so additional where would be put on the engine as well as a resource would be lost in the event of a fire in the home district.  Note that most rural departments don't have many backup engine companies available to handle calls.

To me it seems like a idea that sounds good on paper but falls way short in reality.
 
And what do you do when that eng/amb is first due at a fire and hooked to a hydrant and pumping and you need a ambulance ?
 
TLTruckie said:
And what do you do when that eng/amb is first due at a fire and hooked to a hydrant and pumping and you need a ambulance ?
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Exactly.
 
On a positive note, with all that extra room inside, it would be a great place for relief on a cold winter night.
 
Disp51 said:
On a positive note, with all that extra room inside, it would be a great place for relief on a cold winter night.
Click to expand...

Maybe so, but a heated rehab tent would be a lot cheaper.
 
raybrag said:
Disp51 said:
On a positive note, with all that extra room inside, it would be a great place for relief on a cold winter night.
Click to expand...

Maybe so, but a heated rehab tent would be a lot cheaper.
Click to expand...
NYC Transit Bus's used for this & very plentiful.
 
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