By Jim Love
EMSafety.net
C1 became like a rock star touring the country — different expos and shows from sea to shining sea. Thousands had the opportunity to see and to comment. Finally it was retired (placed into service). No concept at all is worth anything until tested and proven in actual use. So while C1 was out running calls and earning a living, we set about discussions of building a second concept vehicle.
Once again the key players were American Medical Response (AMR) and American Emergency Vehicles (AEV), and once again I was honored to play a part in the design and build. In so many ways C1 was such a hit that everyone on the team felt as though C2 needed to be better, safer and even that much more over the top than its predecessor.
No longer a Type 2, the second Safety Concept Vehicle, C2, was built on a full-sized Type 3 vehicle with all the interior space we could hope for. Many of the fundamentals of C1 remained. There were multiple control panels — three, in fact — for lights, etc. C2 came with an impressive “electronic brain.”
One function of the brain was to act as a controller for the four video cameras and recording equipment found on board. This brain also monitored the level of the main oxygen cylinder. Should the vehicle experience electrical problems, a phone line could be plugged into the brain and it could be diagnosed from across the country. Finally this system was a mobile cellular platform allowing numerous types of communication to occur including real time safety notifications.
C2 sought to address various issues. One feature that it included and highlighted was traffic signal preemption — the ability of the emergency vehicle to change a red traffic light to green. Imagine eliminating the risk of intersection collisions by taking the red light out of the equation.
It also had triple redundant features to eliminate and/or reduce backing collisions including Road Safety, video and sonar. It also included a hydraulic device to load and unload the main oxygen cylinder.
Gone was the racing seat — C2 was equipped with high-end seats and five different styles of harness systems including one that allowed the medic to stand and render care while wearing the harness. Other potential reasons to leave the secure seated position were eliminated in C2: Additional storage was placed around the vehicle so that frequently used supplies were within easy reach. C2 even featured a new cardiac compression (thumper) device to again demonstrate that even this reason — CPR — to leave a seated secure position could be eliminated.
Proper storage
With the change from the LifePak to the LifePak 12, many ambulances did not have proper storage for this newly designed device. For C2, a LifePak 12 monitor holder was located and installed. As a result, we were able to introduce the discussion of in-vehicle projectiles and the dangers they represent.
All of this describes only some of the features and enhancements that were included on C2. Like its predecessor, it had the wild blue and gold coloring, this time on the outside of the vehicle. And again, like its predecessor, it generated some tremendous thought and discussion.
One of the most highly debated and discussed devices placed on board was the standing harness. People loved it or hated it — and some nearly came to blows over it. I always told EMTs and medics this: “We know that most people who die in ambulance collisions are in the patient compartment. We know that most who die or suffer serious injury are not belted or secured. We know the most common cause of fatality or injury is a head injury.”
Some felt these standing harnesses traded one cause of death for another: broken neck. But they got to hear the discussion, got to hear that people were concerned such as employers, manufacturers and scientists. C1 had a helmet. C2 had a helmet made for EMS use. Medics could of course say, “I’m not gonna wear a helmet.” But at least they got to hear that it could cost them their lives if they failed to do so.
C2 was not built to endorse signal preemption or standing harnesses or helmets or cameras. Again, we had the opportunity to remind people of the dangers at intersections, and the real risks of being unrestrained in the back of the ambulance. Having the hydraulic O2 lift even allowed us to talk about other job hazards and risks. We set out to eclipse the first Safety Concept Vehicle and we did. People looked forward to it and came to the shows just to see it. They felt the siren call of the blue and gold.
In the final article in this three-part series, I’ll highlight the development process for C3
Jim Love began his EMS career in 1974. Since that time he has worked providing direct patient care, and has been an FTO. He transitioned to management and has held many positions over the years including operations and later focusing on training, safety and risk management. His most recent position was National Director of Safety and Risk for AMR. Prior to that, he was the Regional Director of Safety and Risk, CES and Fleet Services, also for AMR. He worked extensively on the development of all three Safety Concept Vehicles co-built by AMR and AEV. He maintains an EMS Safety site and blog, EMSafety.net, and can be contacted at drjlove007@gmail.com.