HAMILTON, N.J. — Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital has just announced four new ambulance additions to its existing fleet of 72 vehicles.
Don Roberts, director of Mobile Health Services, wrote in an emailed statement that the high-tech ambulances were designed with input from EMTs to focus on crew and safety.
The new ambulances cost about $120,000 each, but are loaded with features meant to ease the physical strain of patient handling.
The floor of each ambulance was custom-built to fit the hospital’s hydraulic power stretchers, preventing them from falling out of place in case of a bumpy ride. Patients can also be moved or repositioned by making use of inflatable lifting cushions.
The ambulance will also include charging stations for mobile devices, and a roaming Wi-Fi hotspot inside the rig allows patient care data to be transmitted to the hospital en route.
Lastly, the ambulances will use roof-mounted solar panels to reduce fuel consumption and prolong the vehicle’s battery life. According to NJ.com, the ambulances will no longer need to idle while parked.
The hospital currently provides basic life support care to two nearby townships, and runs almost 1,000 calls per month.