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Experts question safety of ‘box on a truck’ ambulance design

Box models like the Meriter ambulance don’t have many safety features

Madison.com

MADISON, Wis. — The Meriter Hospital ambulance that crashed this month, killing a doctor on board, was a “box on a truck” model that isn’t as safe as van-style ambulances used in some places, national EMS safety experts say.

Other EMS officials say vans aren’t big enough to carry specialized equipment and personnel, a key reason the box-style ambulances are much more widely used.

But a Pittsburgh hospital and a Dallas-area ambulance service are among those that use a van to transport newborn patients, as Meriter’s box-style vehicle did. Meriter will consider switching to a van, an administrator said.

Full story: Meriter ambulance design might not be safest, some EMS experts say