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Innovative Technologies
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Posted 11 months ago I'd like to discuss some of the newest trends in Ambulance and Personnel safety equipment. I recently read an article in JEMS about vehicle markings. It talks about how vehicles stand out more with checkerboard or cheveron markings with sharply contrasting colors. Does anyone use these markings on their vehicles? The closest we have come to that is a "candycane" stripe along the side of our ambulances. The idea came from Europe, mainly England and Germany. |
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| Posted 11 months ago Another safety concept is that of the back up camera. AMR has implemented a back up camera in its "Safety Concept Vehicle", along with the checkerboard pattern color scheme. |
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| Posted 11 months ago i dont know about on emergency vehicles but i do know the contrasting colors will force a persons mind to that object rather than just blocking it out according to a study i once read (hence the black box is not black) . I agree with the cameras as any extra safety measures is always a good thing. |
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| Posted 11 months ago on our newest ambulance we have the chevron design on the back and i think it is god awful ugly.... but i have noticed that the truck is alot more visible.... on the highway people seem to see it more often than not and they have actually slowed down a little.... i have heard some people claim that it actually attracts drunk drivers.... i havent seen any proof one way or the other on that subject.... i still think it is ugly but i guess safety isnt always beautiful.... i have seen it on the back of fire apparatus and i dont like it just for the sake of tradition and i know that can start a whole new thread but oh well let it be... |
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| Posted 11 months ago Our new Engine has the yellow and orange chevron on the back, I think that it's hideous but it's supposed to be more visible when parked on roadways. I suppose it would be more visible, I've never driven behind it or passed it on the road, I'm usually in it. Our new engine and our newer ambulance have the backup camera, it works pretty well, it's nice to be able to see right behind you when you're backing up BillDougy- As far as the drunk drivers go, I've never heard that about the chevrons attracting them. I have heard that often when drunks are driving down the road and see the flashing lights from Emergency vehicles that the bright lights attract them to drive towards the lights and that's why there is a fairly large number of drunk drivers hitting emergency vehicles in comparison to non emergency stationary vehicles. |
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| Posted 11 months ago FYI the article was in the Sep. 07 Jems. |
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| Posted 11 months ago Scheduling. We are starting to use a new scheduling program called E-Pro. It is a computer based platform with schedule availablilty posted on a secure site on the internet. We will eventually be "punching in and out" via computer also. Does anyone else use this? How do you like it? It seems to be ok for now, but I can't imagine us using it exclusively untill we get computers with internet in every station. Or at least our laptops in the trucks equiped with wireless internet service. |
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| Posted 10 months ago Laptops in trucks...SIGH! I can only dream :)
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| Posted 10 months ago I know Wake County,NC use a Checked board on the back door. and it does stand out. Be safe
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| Posted 10 months ago Our Trucks are Green and White, with a new "candy cane" strip along the bottom. We kid about the paint scheme and call them our "flying Christmas Trees". |
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| Posted 10 months ago I am in the service next door to the agency that was mentioned in the JEMS article (Baldwin EMS) and pretty much all of the units in So west PA have gone to this design. I know they look weird, but on our stretches of highway we haven't seemed to have quite as many close calls. |
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| Posted 3 months ago emtjad says ... Scheduling. We are starting to use a new scheduling program called E-Pro. It is a computer based platform with schedule availablilty posted on a secure site on the internet. We will eventually be "punching in and out" via computer also. Does anyone else use this? How do you like it? It seems to be ok for now, but I can't imagine us using it exclusively untill we get computers with internet in every station. Or at least our laptops in the trucks equiped with wireless internet service. I have used a similar program at 24 hour fitness. We sign in and out via computer and we can check all availability for schedualing on the secure network as well. We can be anywhere and long in as long as we have internet access. It is super simple and save a buck of time and headachs. You can also watch all of your hours so you can keep track of your pay check as it adds up. Does that sound similar of very different? I think that E-Pro would be awsome in EMS, ecpecially if everyone can get wireless internet in the trucks. |
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| Posted 3 months ago Everything attracts drunk drivers. Chevron striping, lights, vests, flares, you name it. They are like moths to a light. The chevron movement is a national push to bring them back. They were common in the 60's & 70's on road equipment, and supposedly they have studied it and decided they make it safer somehow. All new units coming out that I have seen, have them now, and many are lime green/bright yellow stripes. See the medic unit in my profile pics. Jeff Draper
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| Posted 3 months ago My old ambu company tried just about every color combination possible. We had neon pink, pitch black with white lettering, red white and blue with matching Cubs logo, grey and white striped for the White Sox fans, had some half forest green half puke yellow, and yes we did have one with a white top and red and white checked bottom... we called it the pizza rig because it just resembled some type of oversized pizza delivery truck. The most hilarious, i thought, was the one which had a black and white photo blown up accross it showing two medics pushing the stretcher... omg i hated driving that one. :o) I will have to find pics... i bet no one believes me... Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.
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| Posted 3 months ago I found a odd one mabe something like the one Ivshelly described. It's looks funny but I see how it would stand out more. However short of being drunk ; I don't see how any could miss even the old design. With lights and siren going that is. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kieranclarke999/2462871018/ Link for the odd ambulance. Help someone is some way everyday. Standing at the ready, Tail wagging; ready to run !! |
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| Posted 3 months ago Well the E-Pro online scheduler seems to be working fine. I actually like it. You can see what open shifts there are in advance, swap with other crewmates, and request PTO all online. No more paper work. Now we just have to switch from paper run reports to electronic. That is comming soon. Probably a month or so. We will be using Sanseo (spelling?). Does anyone else use them? |
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| Posted 3 months ago i agree with yall, anything to make the vehicles more visible and more safer is a good thing obviously, but i'm just wondering about something. I worry about making the trucks too visible to the point that when people see it, it's all they wanna look at and not look at the road. I think what they need to start makin more visible is traffic cones, flares, etc. what do yall think? |
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| Posted 3 months ago Well the ambulance I made the link for on my eariler post is more visible but I would not want to look at it long. I don't think there is much that can be added to get those drivers that are just lost in the days events and activities to make them pay attention to where they're going. It's us that will have to be on guard and watch out for each other. Help someone is some way everyday. Standing at the ready, Tail wagging; ready to run !! |
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| Posted 3 months ago The improved cones and flares would also help at the scene along with LEOs and watching each others backs. I've seen many times when there was no warning of what's around the corner and came up on a working accident scene. Help someone is some way everyday. Standing at the ready, Tail wagging; ready to run !! |
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| Posted 3 months ago wow that was hideous!!! visible yes, but hideous! The horrid ambulance I mentioned just happened to drive by me a few days ago and I caught it on my cell phone. Not sure how well you can see the image with the reflections... but it is supposed to show a man wearing the grotesque white shirt and tie uniform of Superior, pushing the stretcher with another male patient on it.
Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.
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| Posted 3 months ago LOL.... they thought they were soooo cool. I remember that ambulance. I didn't ever want to drive it!! :O) |
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| Posted 3 months ago they need to fire the person that comes up with those ideas. |
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| Posted 3 months ago LOL!! I had a theory that he was usually high and would trow darts at different color palettes to choose the ambulance colors. They were just dumb with their ideas somtimes. |
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| Posted 3 months ago Jeez, it looks more like a news van design. Here is the one I spoke of before. These are our new units here. Several serve as Med/Rescue units and have full extrication tools, high angle equipment, etc. They are sweet. But nothing will stop a drunk from aiming at anything that gets their attention.
Jeff Draper
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