Every day that goes by sees more innovations in automotive technology. Cars are getting more comfortable, faster, more fuel efficient, and better overall. But one place where all of the new technology is helping is where we would hardly even look: in ambulances. New technology has brought ambulances from simple people carriers to full on, traffic skirting, mobile life saving devices.
Life Saving Equipment
Modern ambulances have most of the things that can save your life in an emergency. A lot of the equipment has mobile and fixed units, so paramedics can bring stuff with them, stabilize a person on the scene, and bring them back to the van. Having your community’s ambulances in good repair and at peak performance is essential to the health of each resident, and the community as a whole. Ambulances and their crews are like a first response team for whenever somebody is seriously injured. If they can get around fast, reliably, and with the equipment they need, then they will be able to save that many more lives, and keep the community together.
There is a ton of different equipment. There are suction devices to clear blocked airways, oxygen tanks, defibrillators, all manner of life saving drugs, and even a pacemaker! In addition to all of that, they carry various immobilization devices, which sound more sinister than they really are. In reality they are there to make sure that patients can’t injure themselves trying to move, or get further hurt from the movements of the ambulance.
Vehicle Design
But what a modern ambulance carries is only half of the good stuff. New models come equipped with excellent anti-lock brakes, large V8 engines with lots of torque for quick acceleration and a high carrying capacity, tires that can handle a lot of weight and a lot of G forces, and all manner of other cool tech. They are constantly being redesigned, making the sirens more noticeable, the cabs more comfortable, and the vehicle just better overall.
It’s a good thing, too. Ambulance drivers have a tough job. Getting from place to place in a hurry can be tough by itself, but throw in that a life is on the line, that you have to run red lights and break traffic laws, and are responsible for the lives of your coworkers, and it gets stressful—and that isn’t even considering taking an injured person back to the hospital. Every second counts, so it’s essential to have an ambulance in good repair and performing as best it can.
Lewis Nelson blogs frequently about traveling, cars, and racing and covers specifics such as leather seats and Moto Metal Wheels amongst other automotive topics.