New Stretcher Technology

[Tigger]

We did, but found it to be finicky. Now we have an extra battery plugged into a charger in the trucks, and have found it to be a much better system.

Good to know. We have four coming within the next couple of months.

 

[ViolynEMT]

This may have been mentioned already, but there are gurneys that require zero patient lifting. They lift up to 700 pounds and go into the ambulance on a track. They are suspended outside the ambulance. I'm not sure, however, how reliable they are battery-wise.

 

[BlueJayMedic]

This may have been mentioned already, but there are gurneys that require zero patient lifting. They lift up to 700 pounds and go into the ambulance on a track. They are suspended outside the ambulance. I'm not sure, however, how reliable they are battery-wise.

Those are the ones we have. the arms come from the truck and lift the bed, then the wheels fold up and then it slides into the truck and lowers itself again, its the best.

 

[ViolynEMT]

Those are the ones we have. the arms come from the truck and lift the bed, then the wheels fold up and then it slides into the truck and lowers itself again, its the best.

There is a company up north (Az) that uses those. Those get my vote. I think every ambulance should have one. Too bad they are so expensive.

 

[Jim37F]

This may have been mentioned already, but there are gurneys that require zero patient lifting. They lift up to 700 pounds and go into the ambulance on a track. They are suspended outside the ambulance. I'm not sure, however, how reliable they are battery-wise.

This may have been mentioned already, but there are gurneys that require zero patient lifting. They lift up to 700 pounds and go into the ambulance on a track. They are suspended outside the ambulance. I'm not sure, however, how reliable they are battery-wise.

My last department put a bariatric unit into service with no power cots or lifts. It was a manual Ferno X-frame gurney that off the top of my head I think had a carry capacity of 700-1000 pounds BUT what it did have was a heavy duty winch and ramp. Basically you'd pull the gurney out like normal, at the patient leave it all the way lowered to the ground and load the patient into the gurney and then steer it back to the ambulance all the way lowered. There you'd take these two big folding ramps out of the side compartment, attach them to their points just inside the back doors, and then grab the cable from the winch inside and pull it out to the gurney and just winch the whole shebang up the ramps and into the rig. Secure the gurney, fold the ramps and put them away. All you need to do was guide the gurney straight in, no lifting (except for the patient onto the gurney and then onto the hospital bed). At least that was the theory, it was never actually used to my knowledge before I left lol. Most complicated thing about it was those big heavy ramps

 

[Tigger]

There are no bariatric power cots. I don't believe that any of the currently manufactured hydraulic systems can lift 1000 pounds and I doubt there is enough demand to develop one. Not to mention that rolling a 700 pound patient in a raised position sounds scary.