Duty / Command Car

[jasonlonergan]

My Company is currently looking to add to our fleet. We run a lot of medical calls and the rescue and utility trucks are taking a beating. We are trying to justify a "Duty Car" for first responder and command use and need as much data as possible for funding justification.

Who has them?
How are they used?
What type of vehicle?

[MrYuk]

If you are looking for a first response vehicle then you need a basic Tahoe or Surburban type of vehicle stocked with EMS equipment. This would go in place of the engine to calls, possibly staffed with paramedics of your ambulance is not.

I think that it would be difficult to use this vehicle as an EMS first responder and a command vehicle. You need two seperate vehicles. What if you have a major trauma and a structure fire tone out at the same time. What justifies where that vehicle will respond to? What is more important? Well they both are and you can not be in two places at one. My suggestion, if budget allows, would be to purchase two Tahoes, one for EMS response stocked with all basic EMS gear, backboards, etc.... and another for all your command equip, extra tools, RIT bags, extra airpacks, accountability.

[kmacinct]

Jason -
Give the Hospital a call, and try to get on their list for when they are re-cycling the paramedic trucks. They are in good shape, just high on miles. I know Marlborough just bought one of them and put it into service.

Contact me off list if you need to for more details...

Kevin
Colchester

[Adam07003]

Yeah like said above a suburban or larger SUV. Tahoes are widely used in police and im sure you can find one at a police auction.

Stock it with basically everything in your ambulance that you can. Id like to turn my truck into a first responder type vehicle but on a smaller scale since its my POV and theres not a lot of room, but if yer going to do this for a dept i'd do the following:

Jump Kit/First Out Bag (ours has airway/O2/bandages/Glucose/BP/Steth/Pulse Ox/NR/NC)
Defib
C-Collars/Blocks
Boards (believe it or not i've seen medic units with boards in the back so its very possible, you dont need back seats keep in mind this is your responder vehicle not a shuttle truck)
Portable Suction
Maternity Kit
Pediatrics Kit
First Aid Kit
Splints
Towels/Blankets/Sheets (i'd do 5 towels, 2 blankets, 2 sheets)


And i'd also do the following since we respond to fires:
Turnout coat/helmet
Some bottled water

And if you still have room, which you probably should, you can really fit a lot since its all kits and theres no big stretcher, i'd put as much else you can that would be on your rig such as a Pedes board and traction. Kitty Litter/Sand, just whatevers on your rig SHOULD fit in there as long as you design the back properly. Most likely you'll lose the back window visibility as thats how medics in my area did it, but if i could id keep some visibilty it just makes it safer to back out of places.

Make a box and have compartments for your kits in the back. Then make a slot for your boards to slide in. On the back side doors, make more compartments boxes, and in between the boards would be lying from the rear.

Something like that would be great and i bet it would really cut down on your response times. Yuo could keep the FIrst responder vehicle at your home if yer on shift and respond while the crew gets the ambulance. You have all the tools required to start BLS and meanwhile your rigs enroute a few minutes later to do the transport.