Douglas County Replaces Ambulance

The Douglas County Fire/EMS Department received an ambulance to replace one damaged in an accident, and showed it to the on Tuesday. The Rescue 11 ambulance is the first medium-duty chassis ambulance in the department’s history, previous models being built on a light-duty frame. Medium-duty chassis and drivetrains are more capable of handling on-scene idling, have stronger braking, cooling and suspension components, and are critical for a system with increasing call volume, such as Douglas County’s.

In 2011, the Douglas County Fire/EMS Department answered 11,410 strictly emergency medical system calls, according to Douglas County E-911 records, which is an average of one call every 46 minutes. In addition, the Fire/EMS Department sends ambulances to support fire calls in the case first responders need assistance. There were 3,856 strictly fire calls in 2011.

The ambulance features an hydraulic drop-down rear access for easier and faster patient loading and entry, and a built-in child safety seat. It is outfitted with computers that transmit EKGs and other critical medical information directly to the hospital emergency room.  The ambulance has an automatic vehicle locator which allows Douglas County E-911 operators to know the location of each of the County’s six ambulances at any given time. This allows for the closest unit to a call to be dispatched. It also provides Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) with a location in the event of a region-wide disaster.

The International medium-duty chassis has a slightly longer wheelbase and will be able to carry more weight and more emergency medical equipment than the light-duty model.  It is hoped that the medium-duty chassis will have a longer lifespan, and the County will closely monitor the performance and maintenance to see if the medium-duty ambulance will be the way the County needs to go with future ambulance purchases. The ambulance was purchased in used condition for $43,000 with proceeds from an insurance settlement on the damaged/unusable ambulance, and modified for local needs.  The ambulance will be housed at .

Douglas County Commission Chairman Tom Worthan stated in a press release, “wise decisions were made in the purchase of this ambulance that will help our citizens receive needed emergency medical services. This new ambulance specification was necessary, and is a testament to the attention and caring of our Fire/EMS staff to continue to provide efficient and reliable medical services to our residents.”