Medic Response Vehicles

[buckeyedoc]

I am in the process of starting up a Paramedic Response Unit for a county. We will not be providing transports (as of yet) for the county, but will be providing paramedic intercepts. Who here has/is worked/working for a paramedic intercept? What vehicles do you run in? I am looking at the Jeep Liberty or the Nissan Xterra. Both are small enough, but provide adequate room for equipment. I used to run for a dept. that used Excursions and I really didn't care for them. Too brawny if you ask me. I'm looking for something 4 wheel drive, but not a 4x4 (if you know what I mean). Thanks for your input.

[Asysin2leads]

Paramedic response vehicles have fallen out of favor ever since Medicare changed the rules so that only the unit that transports gets to bill. Usually response vehicles fall into the SUV, Crown Victoria, or Pickup/Panel Truck Category. The third option is my personal favorite.

[buckeyedoc]

I did a lot of searching about billing details w/ Medicare. As long as the area that is being covered by the paremedic intercept only offers BLS coverage, the interecept may bill for services, but not mileage.

[Skuter]

I have to agree with you about the Excursion. We are running a couple of them for First Response and they are brawny.

We are also using the GMC Yukon. They are a nice ride, have the 4WD when needed (i.e change on the fly). Lots of power and enough room for comfort. Our fleet services guys custom built a box for the rear that has a large capacity roll out drawer for extra gear and has tie downs for response bags and defib.

Good luck with the project.

Skuter

[buckeyedoc]

I run in a Liberty now and I kind of like it. It's small enough, yet there's room enough for all the necessary medic supplies. We carry 3 of the foldable backboards. They are nice. I can get 4 of the Liberty's for $19,200 each. I am setting up a committee for the decision making processes. Thanks for all of y'all's input.

Doc

[vs-eh?]

http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/ems/operations/eru.htm

That's what I work on.

During peak times there can be upwards of 20 in the city, 3 or 4 are usually always ALS preceptor units.

[buckeyedoc]

http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/ems/operations/eru.htm

That's what I work on.

During peak times there can be upwards of 20 in the city, 3 or 4 are usually always ALS preceptor units.

Nice, my old department ran in Imaplas. They are nice and comfortable. I have an Impala as my POV. Although, one has nothing to do with the other. We had a couple of used PD Crown Vics and they were POS's. They were that way before we got them.

[Dustdevil]

Almost any vehicle will provide you the room you need, since you're not transporting or doing heavy rescue. Since you have a specific need for all-terrain capability, then obviously sedans are out.

Panel trucks or squads are overkill, unless you want to be a rescue or MCI capable unit.

Same thing with Excursions or Suburbans.

Tahoe's are great, but suck gas something fierce.

Grand Cherokees are my personal favourite, as they provide more than adequate room on a tough but comfortably riding 4wd chassis that gets better mileage than a larger vehicle. Dodge and Ford both make similarly sized SUV's that would fit into this category.

Although unspeakable back in the days of cheap gas, the possibility of going with a foreign made SUV can no longer be discounted. The Xterra, the Mistubishi Monterro, and other import SUV's may offer you the best combination of features and economy. If so, it would be foolish to not seriously consider them.

Can you tell us more about your plan? Is this response force to be a free-standing "rescue squad," or associated with a currently existing agency? Do you have community and governmental support, both theoretically and financially?

[buckeyedoc]

Can you tell us more about your plan? Is this response force to be a free-standing "rescue squad," or associated with a currently existing agency? Do you have community and governmental support, both theoretically and financially?

Dustdevil,

Ok, let me fill y'all in as to the plans. There are currently 4 BLS only squads in this county (to be named later due to ongoing negotiations). They have 2 hospital based paramedic transport (Type II's) that will intercept if needed. Well, they charge the county a small fortune for each run they intercept on. Not to mention they bill the patient. I have been in contact with the local EMA for a few months to establish an intercept service in the county that will be dispatched on all runs that medics might be needed. We won't respond on stubbed toes and things like that. We are working on a monthly "fee" that the county will pay regardless of the number of runs. We will then bill the patient accordingly. The monthly "fee" won't be all that much in comparison to what they are being charged by the hospital based. The county EMA wants to eliminate the hospital based medics all together, but without any options, they have yet to do this. I have submitted my business plan (of over 125 pages) to area banks and financial supporters. I have a real good friend who is a business man and likes to diversify (if you know what I mean). He is going to have the vehicles we want purchased, striped, equiped and the emergency lighting packages installed. We will then begin paying him back for the vehicles 18 months after first day of business. The county is responsible (and have already agreed) for providing us a "station" to house the vehicle and the crew. Most crews will only run w/ one medic per station. We plan on staring with 3 "stations" and increase based on need.

[strippel]

We have had all kinds of chase vehicles around here.

My service doesn't do chase (we assist other agencies using our MICUs), but we used to do it a lot. We currently have 2 Excursions and 3 Tahoes, along with a Subaru and a Chevy Silverado. They are used for supervisor and administrative duties.

The other agencies in the county either use Tahoes or Explorers. In a nearby county (when they were hospital based, now they are Volunteer Fire Company MICUs) were using Impalas. Another county uses converted pick-ups (dog-catcher).

We did a "study", and found we were spending way too much money on brakes. Because of that, and safety, it was decided to go with a bigger vehicle with strong brakes, the Excursion.

The other vehicles included in consideration were those available through state contract. They were Tahoe, Cherokee, Expedition, Explorer, Crown Victoria, and Impala. We chose the Excursion because it had the room to put ALS, supervisory, and command stuff, as well as tow our MCI trailers.

For starters, why don't you approach your local government, and have them "give" you one of their retired cruisers.