We got "Mods" for BLS units now!

[MMiz]

Back when I first started working BLS I worked in a "standard" Type II / Van ambulance. They were smaller, faster, easy to drive, and got the job done. They didn't didn't look cool or have lots of room.

This month the service I work for had an opportunity to purchase new ambulances, and got "Mods" for our BLS unit, and the huge mods for our ALS crew.

The additional room is great, it drives great, but just takes longer to stop .

I know Jon, another EMT who works for The Man, also rides around in a Type II van. Anyone else?

 

[coloradoemt]

I've never had to work in a "bullet", so I can not share in your excitement. :sad:

 

[Jon]

My vollie squad uses mini-mods for our primary trucks... very nice in a medium volume, suburban/urban EMS system... with chase car medics... and 3+ vollies on the truck at night.

At work - BLS gets Type II's, ALS gets Type III's... Some of the III's are mini-mods, some are slightly bigger.

 

[daemonicusxx]

mods, and mini-mods have the single rear wheels, not duels right? we've got a few of those. as long as im not in a vanbulance, im alright, but i guess i gotta drive what they tell me to drive.

 

[CaptainPanic]

Im assuming that within the next 10-15 years, the van type units will no longer be used and BLS will be driving mini-mods - we get to look like ALS WOOHOO!!! :lol: j/k

 

[KEVD18]

paid squad is all type II's

vollie has a medium duty rescue(1996 international by Horton)

 

[Ridryder911]

Congrats on the mod..

I worked for several years in a van.. at the time I though it was great, since I had worked out of suburbans...

I stil like vans in some parts of the county, roads & bridges definitely was easier and smooth... however, I have to admit .. I wouldn't trade for the space..

again congrats..
R/R 911

 

[VinBin]

Anyone been involved in EMS long enough to have ever driven the really old ambulances?...Im guessing something like these:
http://www.neiu.edu/~jabennin/bfd/1970_cad.gif or
http://www.ambulance-collector.nl/image31072005/0499.jpg

And how strict were the rules for driving during an emergency "back then", it seems rather strict now nationwide from what Im hearing...

 

[ResTech]

In my area and surrounding counties all BLS units are Type I or Type III and even a few heavy duty style units. No one uses van type here except for the private transport companies. Ive worked in Type II before and didnt really like it.

 

[SafetyPro2]

Both our ambulances are Type IIs. Being a foothill community, we have a couple of areas of town where it would be very difficult to operate a Type III, and those are areas that we tend to go into on EMS calls fairly frequently.

Most of the FDs around here operate Type IIIs, but a few do have Type IIs (generally for the same reasons we do).

AMR and the other private companies run mostly Type IIs with a few Type IIIs in the mix. Its interesting because AMR does run most of LA County FD's transports, and that's almost always in a Type II. I worked a full-arrest in the back of one as an EMT student with a County medic, the AMR EMT, and a classmate of mine (who happened to be riding with the AMR unit that caught the transport for the County Squad I was riding with). Needless to say, it was rather tight.

I'm thinking a Sprinter would work well for us. Its bigger than a normal Type II, but not as big as a Type III.

 

[FFEMT1764]

We strictly use type 1 trucks...we even have 4 trucks on the FL60 chassis...i think they SUCK but they are 6-7 years old and falling apart...the truck im on this month has 271000+ miles on it...kinda scary to think that the truck is still a front line unit...

 

[KEVD18]

We strictly use type 1 trucks...we even have 4 trucks on the FL60 chassis...i think they SUCK but they are 6-7 years old and falling apart...the truck im on this month has 271000+ miles on it...kinda scary to think that the truck is still a front line unit...

please..... we have 2 trucks at my paid service that have over 350,000 on the clock. at least 2 that are 250-300 and all but 4 of the other truck that are out of my station are well over 100,000

 

[FFEMT1764]

please..... we have 2 trucks at my paid service that have over 350,000 on the clock. at least 2 that are 250-300 and all but 4 of the other truck that are out of my station are well over 100,000

Thats just plain scary...most trucking company's replace the big rigs at 250,000 miles....and think about it...the abuse EMS put son trucks...if someone were to be hurt or killed in a wreck involving one of the high mileage trucks, that persons family would own the service...any vehicle in excess of 275,000 miles by federal law...part 49 cfr....is in excess of its mechanical limits...and must be noted as such...as litigious as society is today high mileage trucks are lawsuits waiting to happen...just my 0.02 worth...

 

[coloradoemt]

Thats just plain scary...most trucking company's replace the big rigs at 250,000 miles....and think about it...the abuse EMS put son trucks...if someone were to be hurt or killed in a wreck involving one of the high mileage trucks, that persons family would own the service...any vehicle in excess of 275,000 miles by federal law...part 49 cfr....is in excess of its mechanical limits...and must be noted as such...as litigious as society is today high mileage trucks are lawsuits waiting to happen...just my 0.02 worth...

We have a couple of rigs with over 300,000 on them. They are no longer a "first out" rig, but they are not junk either. And just for the record, having spent a significant ammount of time in the trucking industry the optimum trade in time on an OTR rig is around 500,000. Unless you are in a high paying specialty transport type of deal most companies cannot afford to replace a big rig every 250,000. I would guess replacing an ambulance is not a cheap undertaking either.

 

[JJR512]

Forgive my ignorance, but I'm actually still in training (for EMT-B). I know what Type I, II, III, and Medium Duty ambulances are, but what are "mods" and "mini-mods"?

 

[Jon]

Mods are "big" type III's, Mini-Mod's are "little" type III's Many times, a Mini-mod is mounted on a single rear wheel chassis.

Jon

 

[MMiz]

Mods are "big" type III's, Mini-Mod's are "little" type III's Many times, a Mini-mod is mounted on a single rear wheel chassis.

Jon

Jon is exactly right. We actually have mini-mods :glare:

 

[Jon]

Jon is exactly right. We actually have mini-mods :glare:

Hey.... they still beat Type II's for most things.

Sprinters are nice, too.... they sort of drive like trucks.... but fit like a van, and have the room of a mini-mod (without exterior compartments).


Speaking of compartments.... Exterior Compartments are a big difference between a 'full' Mod and a Mini-Mod. The "standard" Mini-Mod's have a "small" backboard compartment, a Oxygen compartment with storage space and a Pass-through compartment on the curbside on the front of the box. Sometimes there is a compartment below the bench seat level on the outside on one or both sides, sometimes not.

Most "full" mods have a "larger" backboard comprtment for backboard, scoop, reeves, etc... in addition to multiple "lower" exterior compartments.