PULSE Magazine | January 2019 Issue PE

A.J. Heightman, MPA, EMT-P Editor-in-Chief @JEMS

Austin-Travis County EMS Ambulances Offer Eye- catching, Effective Locations & Intersection Clearance JEMS.com

When leaving the National Association of EMS Physicians annual conference this weekend, I got a chance to scout out one of the Austin-Travis County EMS ambulances on a call at Austin's airport. (I tried to take home some souvenir EMS equipment but their alert crew—and vehicle design—locked up all doors and compartments!)

Although you may not be a fan of their color scheme, it is effective, and particularly eye-catching from a distance.

I especially like their use of all-exterior storage space and side-door step extrusion.

One of the most impressive design features of these Wheeled Coach vehicles is the location and flash pattern of their warning lights and sirens/airhorns. They utilize dual electron- ic sirens and air horns that are integrated into the far end of their front bumper. The heavy-duty front bumper, which offers great front impact protection for their crews, has small vertical/angled LED warning lights that are extremely effective for intersec- tion clearance. These lights aren’t expensive and are worth their weight in gold. The ATCEMS ambulance’s patient compartments feature high and mid-level (over the wheel well and at rear window level) dual flash pattern/color flashers that also offer great

Ambulances for Austin-Travis County EMS are designed for functionality, efficiency, high visibility and crew safety.

intersection and on-scene warning patterns.

The angled protrusion at the front of the patient compartment (over the cab) also offers great intersection clearance.

ATCEMS, well known for their exceptional patient care and integrated EMS system, gets two thumbs up from me for their ambulance design.

8