Death Vault?

[ashfire]

This a description has told by a safety designer for NASCAR for a land based ambulances.
The vehicle that is suppost to bring lifesaving personnel and equipment to the scene and transport patients to medical treatment could kill everyone in the treatment area in a accident.
While I was attending the fire and rescue convention recently in Ocean City. Maryland, early morning a ambulance transporting a patient to the hospital avoided a deer and crashed into a tree ripping the rightside wall off the unit throwing a paramedic and the patient out of the vehicle killing them. Two others were injuried.
That afternoon I attended a seminar on ambulance safety about safety for the attendants and patients.
The seminar was conducted by a medical doctor of pediatrics who has open many eyes about the way ambulances are built much of it is not federally regulated for safety.
Crash test are not conducted on ambulance bodies unless done by independent safety groups.
Cabinets inside can injure attendents or patients when they strike them in a accident or items are thrown out of them.
Seating is not set for treatment of patients so the attendant has to remove their seatbelt to be close to the patient to do treatment.
Bench seating along the wall only has lap belts which could cause injury or death.
Equipment may not be secured.
We as attendants have been told we may have to wear helmets designed for ambulance work and be worn from dispatch until return to quarters.
There were many more ideas and questions about this.
To check it out http://www.objectivesafety.net you can see other seminars under handouts and safety info about this.
I have even found on youtube ambulance crash test that could curl peoples hair.

[ashfire]

Here are some crash test videos
http://paramedictv.ems1.com/Clip.aspx?key=81A4E73AAD7B08E9
http://paramedictv.ems1.com/Clip.aspx?key=3A9CD1931CDE906F
http://paramedictv.ems1.com/Clip.aspx?key=8476742266718AD4
http://paramedictv.ems1.com/Clip.aspx?key=385F51740BDA709B

This is not a crash test but it shows what is considered one of the safest ambulance built except for the crew.
http://paramedictv.ems1.com/Clip.aspx?key=5739953D17201354

[ashfire]

How many of you would contact your U.S. Congress Person and tell them that ambulance manufacturers are not making ambulances crash worthy and safe for those inside the treatment area? As told to us in the seminar they are nothing but rolling cabinets that will fall apart or kill someone in a crash.
A chassis and cab of a ambulance are federally regualated because it is built by auto manufactures.
But the box or modulalar unit is not.
Van ambulances are built to regulations at first but then the top is cut off and repalced with a fiberglass top which could come off in a accident causing those inside to be thrown out.
One company that builds a safe van is Mercedes which is the Sprinter Van which is sold by Dodge and Freightliner.
This van is built with different roof heights so that it can be used for different uses including ambulances. The only thing is that the cut away cab and chassis can have a box unit placed on it which may not be safe.
I feel a ambulance should be as safe as a school bus because they were made to be built safe by federal regulations.

[ashfire]

Well I have contacted my US Senator and wait for a answer from them. Has anyone else?

[ChristianKitsune]

wow.. I never even thought about this O_o That's crazy... but it does make sense... I think it would be a good idea to have the government change these vehicles.. But at the same time...how often does an ambulance get in an accident? Considering people should pull over whenever they go by.

It's funny that a NASCAR guy commented on this...considering they have succeeded in making a VERY safe little racecar. *witnessed a guy barrel roll his car a whopping twelve times at almost 200 miles an hour and walk away from the car with only a sore ankle earlier this year.*

The Van idea sounds interesting, but what would they do with all the extra equipment?

[MBlight]

Wow, can you imagine, if the American ambulances are so bad, what are the South African ones like??? Here we hear quite often of them getting into accidents, which is quite scary. Provided of course they even come to pick you up. Just the other day a young boy bled to death next to the side of the road in his mother's arms while they waited for 3 hours for an ambulance to pick them up, while they were something like 5 km away from the hospital (keep in mind that majority of South Africans don't have cars and our transport system is pathetic so she couldn't have taken him herself even if she wanted to)

[ChristianKitsune]

Wow, can you imagine, if the American ambulances are so bad, what are the South African ones like??? Here we hear quite often of them getting into accidents, which is quite scary. Provided of course they even come to pick you up. Just the other day a young boy bled to death next to the side of the road in his mother's arms while they waited for 3 hours for an ambulance to pick them up, while they were something like 5 km away from the hospital (keep in mind that majority of South Africans don't have cars and our transport system is pathetic so she couldn't have taken him herself even if she wanted to)

O_O My gosh...that's...that's horrible! >_<