Detroit Free Press

DETROIT —The growing waistlines of patients have prompted some metro Detroit communities and an ambulance service to buy or look into motorized stretchers for firefighters and medics.

If the Madison Heights City Council adopts its proposed 2010-11 budget, the Fire Department will get two battery-powered stretchers at a cost of about $24,000.

Superior Ambulance Service — which serves several metro Detroit cities, including Riverview, Detroit and Roseville — is in the process of replacing all of its stretchers with motorized ones. The Royal Oak Fire Department bought one of the stretchers about 18 months ago. And Southfield — which was used as a model by Madison Heights when officials started considering the switch — has used them for five years.

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