First Response Vehicle

[Lt.2]

Our fire dept. is currently putting together an M.F.R. program and one of the questions that we are dealing with is what vehicle to use as an M.F.R. response vehicle. We are a paid-on-call dept. with 37 members of which 22 are M.F.R. or higher with 2 stations. Initially, we were thinking of using an engine but our concern is that during the day time respones we would only be able to get one or two responders as well as securing the vehicle on scene if the ambulance needs us to ride to the hospital. Some of the ideas we have come up with are to buy a suburban or tahoe, utilize a pickup truck body with a panel box rear (squad 51), or buy a used ambulance. Please let me know what your dept. is using and what you like or dislike about it. Thanks.

[ntvilleff]

We have a crown vic (fly car) with all the goodies you need for first responders in the trunk (jump kit/splints/o2/aed/pulse-ox etc.)
What else do you really need?

[chief4102]

Lt.2:
ntvilleff is correct that a Crown Vic will carry the items needed for first responce. We, however use a Pierce body on a 1 ton Ford chassis-cab. We carry all the first aid/splints/AED/O2 equipment mentioned plus long backboards, and extrication equipment/ ropes/ladders and a small H2O tank, pump and hose. Also a generator and flood lights for lighting rescue scenes at night. Most M.F.R. programs around here use something like this for their responces. It seems that it would first be benifical to determine just how the unit is to be used, then pick the rig best suited to your expected use and needs. Good luck with your M.F.R. program, and vehicle selection.

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Be Safe
Dan

[This message has been edited by chief4102 (edited 06-19-2001).]

[N2DFire]

Hey Lt.2,

Around here no Fire Agency does true First Responder duties (however we have a lot of cross traind Dual Agency people who will render aid when riding with the "Fire Side")

A lot of the EMS agencies have "Units" which are used mostly like fly cars. The vehicle type of choice is predominantly some type of SUV (Surburbans, Tahoes, etc). There was one old Crown Vic (which is on it's last leg and soon to be replaced).

My squad is currently looking to buy some type of Unit as well, however we are considering a Short Bed/ Crew Cab Pick Up w/ Tool Box since it will offer more versatility for what we want to use it for.

Dan (chief4102) hit the nail on the head though. You have to get an idea of what all you will do with this unit & what you want it to carry - then see what type of car/truck/SUV will fill the bill.

Take Care - Stay Safe
Stephen
FF/Paramedic

[EFDems841]

Lt.,
My dept uses a 98 Suburban 2500 series 4x4 with 454 and "off road" package. We love it. More room than a car. Good for carrying longboards, stokes, etc. We cover rural areas including a state park waterfall, part of the appilacian trial, and numerous fields. Nice having a 4x4 to get to these places. Plenty of room for equipment and easy to lock up and leave if nessicary.

[Fireguy57]

Our neighboring dept. does not have EMS so they made sort of an "All purpose" vehicle.
It has four areas. The front drivers side has rescue equipment (Porto-power, jacks, pry bars, cribbing, tools). The rear drivers side have EMS equipment (First aid, O2, collars) on top is a back board with blocks&straps already on it. The passenger side front has SCBA. The rear has structure fire gear. The back has a 200 gallon tank and hose reel from brush fires, indian tanks-rakes-shovels for forest fires. Preconnected 1 1/2" hoses for structure fires and car fires. It also has ladders, stokes baskets, and all kinds of crap. It is so organized, and the truck is so small; This is a great model for the perfect responce vehicle. The call it an Attack vehicle because it can attack almost anything you can think of!!!

[morriss]

We use our GMC brush truck. It has a compartment layout similiar to the famed Squad 51. We are licensed to be a First Repsonder Agency with both our beush truck and engine. For pictures, see

[Captain203]

My department has a 1989 Chevy full-size Blazer. It has 4x4 and two custom roll out trays in the rear (the rear seat has been removed). Backboards and other long items fit nicely in the compartment and we have enough room for all the BLS equipement as well as cribbing for car wrecks.

[Captain203]

Lt.2 - Here's another idea. If you are looking into an SUV and don't mind a used one, check with your local agencies such as the power company about donating one. Virginia Power was kind enought to donate our vehicle and it's been great for us.

[quietone]

A 2000 Chevy Suburban. Emergency lighting, winch mounted to a custom built frame that slides into 2" hitch receiver in front and rear of vehicle. Cargo compartment has a rollout shelf similar to "extendobed", and several custom brackets / hangers for longboard, defib, spare O2 tanks, suction, hand extrication tools, radio chargers, lights, traffic control equipment, and other misc. stuff. Quite a bit packed in but very functional and user friendly. Good Luck.

[weir33]

Hello we serve a rural area that is a 20min run from border to border on a secondary highway. our 911 truck as the local residents call it (most promident words on it), is a 1989 ford 1 ton with a Florida wheeled coach ambulance It carries 1 AED 2 O2 kits op and nasel airway 2 ked,s and head blocks and board for 4. All our disposables are supplied by the provincal gov, who also oversees the single contractor with 250 plus ALS rigs (unionized).they also provide us with a mobile tmr and two portables that have channels for all gov dept. DOT,RCMP,DNR ,AIRMED. I DIGRESS its a great rig a little slow on the up take but it handles good and is loud and visable. :D :D Our SOP,s are such that all officers check in by radio and 1 goes directly to the call. if only one calls in he reports to the hall. all our MFR,s carry basic,s in their cars. so if you half to pass the call to get to the call you stop and start PT care Our closest ALS is on average 15-20 min away and we respond to 100 call a year

[WestTac1]

My department responds with a 2001 Ford F-Super Duty 4x4 crew cab,short wheelbase with an "in-house" modified Reading Utility body.In the bed of this unit,we have capability of transporting 2 patitents. This serves to evacuate patients out of rough terrain and tight/confined areas. This truck is equiped with everything a full BLS-Intermediate ambulance would carry, as well as 2 SCBA's, Water cans,Thermal imaging camera,winch,generator,scene lighting,traffic control devices, and MCI equipment, and Hurst combi tool.


Having this unit saves a considerable amount of wear and tear on our engine and rescue,as well as keeps theses units available for fire and rescue calls. Also, on those types of calls this unit responds as a component.

[firecat1524]

My Dept uses an old ambulance. We removed the on board o2, and the stretcher. Since we are fire first, it's set up as a fireground rehab vehicle too. It's adequate as a first responder unit, but if we were to add anything else we would need a larger truck.

[BFD196]

We run all medical calls w/ Stamford EMS, because we don`t have an ambulance sitting right in our district. We either run our rescue, or an engine to EMS calls, depending on the manpower left at the station. They`re both fully equipt with everything except drugs.

[B33]

I know we do things different here in the UK, but I once saw a "Rescue Response Unit" trial vehicle for initial immediate response to traffic accidents and extrication jobs.

The vehicle was a 4x4 pick up with a panel back. The sides of the back had sliding shutters to both sides which contained medical kits, o2, defib etc. This area also housed jaws of life and various tools of the trade for extrication.

At the rear of the vehicle was a compartment running the full length of the flat bed in between the storage areas on each side, this housed a rescue litter, back board, various slings, ropes and holdfast stakes etc.

I don't think it became a regular issue to any of our services as we don't link fire and ems over here.

In larger towns and most cities we have a Paramedic motorcycle response in order to get aid to scene quickly carrying o2 defib etc.

I would suggest from personal preference a vehicle that can get you out of the s**t (4x4) if needed and is substantial enough not to fall apart after a year. The kit you carry is dependant on the calls that you are likely to run: rural or urban. This may be influenced by high speed roads and local industry etc.

Whatever you get - Good Luck & Stay Safe

Bob
EMT-D :cool:

"And the beat goes on"