Apparatus and Equipment

Apparatus

In 2006, a new ambulance committee was formed by Captain Jeff Gueniat and chaired by Butch Wyant to research ambulance options and make a recommendation on a new ambulance purchase. The committee worked hard during the spring and summer of 2006, defining our requirements and evaluating different companies. We selected a new ambulance and it was delivered in the fall of 2007.

Old Ambulance

Below is a picture of our previous ambulance which was replaced in the fall of 2007.

New Ambulance: delivered 8/16/07

Our new ambulance arrived on 8/16/07 and almost 2 months ahead of schedule.
It is a Lifeline 2006 Ford E-450 SD 158" chassis; 167" x 96" Superliner Type III Body.

As you can see by the third picture, EMS 3, Captain Jeff Gueniat is very happy.

Some more pictures

Equipment

EMT's and MRT's rely on many different forms of equipment to assist with the treatment of patients. Some will completely immobolize a patient (backboards & KEDs) for safe movement and transport and others are critical for the survival of a patient (AED and oxygen). EMT's and MRT's spend many hours training how to use and also maintaining this equipment. Below are just a few examples.

The EMS Charts is a new web based technology that will replace the old, paper run forms.

Washington Ambulance uses Two Way Radios (such as the one shown, Motorola 1250) to establish rapid and efficient communication with our dispatch center (Litchfield County Dispatch) and with each of our members. This allows us to provide patient updates and request additional resources when needed. Washington Ambulance shares our frequency with Washington Fire Department and the frequency is 158.775.

The KED (Kendrick Extracation Device) made by Ferno is used to safely immobilize and remove patients from vehicles involved in an accident.

This Medtronic AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) is used on patients in cardiac arrest to hopefully convert them to a survivable rhythm. Studies have shown that immediate CPR and AED application plus early ALS (Advanced Life Saving) intervention can increase long term survival rates by 50% (American Heart Association). Washington Ambulance has these deployed in our members personal vehicles throughout the town for the quickest intervention possible.

The Stair Chair is typically used to transport patients down a flight of stairs. This Stair Chair is made by Stryker and is designed for patient safety and ease of use for our ambulance members. In the event of a neck or back injury, the patient would be moved on a backboard.

Splints can come in different varieties and have different uses depending on the injury. To the right are Vacuum Splints made by Ferno. These can be molded into the shape of the arm or leg, and then the air is removed leaving a rigid like cast.