Durham County EMS innovates and purchases new Demers Sprinter modular ambulances
BELOEIL, QC, Feb. 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ - Durham County EMS (DCEMS), North Carolina, recently inspected their first new Type 3 Mercedes-Benz "Sprinter" ambulance at the headquarters of Demers Ambulances, located in Beloeil, Quebec Canada. Their order of seven emergency vehicles is the first step towards replacing their entire fleet of ambulances, and highlights many innovative and economical features.
Safety and Ergonomics
The Sprinter chassis, assembled in Ladson, South Carolina, is equipped with many safety features, such as electronic stability control (ESP) and the Driver Assistance Package. This package includes "collision prevention assist" and "lane keeping assist". The ambulance patient compartment is equipped with the FernoTM Stat Trac® cot fastening system, which meets the new Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standard J3027, which requires that the cot and fastening system be able to maintain integrity in a 30 mile-per-hour crash. Moreover, the Demers ambulance includes exclusive safety construction elements, such as pull-tested aluminum cabinetry and pull-tested equipment restraints for a cardiac monitor. In lieu of a traditional squad bench on the curbside of the patient compartment, DCEMS has chosen the Demers exclusive Mobility Track Sliding Seat System, which features a captain's chair and 3 point seatbelt on a sliding track. This enables the EMS professional to remain safely seated and seat-belted while delivering optimal care and having access to all critical equipment. All these elements combine to ensure a safe environment for both the patient and the paramedic.
Fuel Economy
Featuring a 6-cylinder, 3.0 liter diesel engine, the Sprinter boasts industry-leading fuel economy, rated at approximately 14 miles per gallon[1], compared to approximately 6 to 10 miles per gallon on comparable modular type ambulances. In addition, the new Durham ambulances feature Demers' exclusive EcoSmart anti-idling system, which can reduce time while idling by up to 40%, generating significant savings in fuel consumption.
Innovation
Durham County EMS selected an Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) system, which utilizes a GPS device to locate and track vehicles thus helping to increase dispatching accuracy and efficiency. This system will improve DCEMS's ability to provide timely emergency medical services to its citizens. This system will work in partnership with a driver behavior system, monitoring the driving habits of the Durham's paramedics in an effort to reduce accidents and maintenance costs. The ambulances also feature a radio-frequency identification (RFID) asset tagging system for guarding against the loss of key medical equipment.
"I want to thank the entire Demers team for the excellent customer service during this process" said Skip Kirkwood, DCEMS Chief. "Their professionalism, coupled with innovative design and engineering capabilities, have culminated in ambulances that will meet our citizens' needs. We are delighted with all advancements incorporated in to these ambulances, at a very economical cost. They will surely reduce our maintenance costs, improve our patient care, and improve the safety of patients and paramedics".
Alain Brunelle, Demers President shared ''through a close collaboration between the Durham EMS staff and our product designers, the team has always emphasized ergonomics, safety, and technological innovations. This interaction enables Demers to remain grounded with the latest trends, while offering effective and economical solutions to DCEMS.'' The DCEMS ambulance encompasses several design aspects exclusive to Demers that combine safety, efficiency and innovation. These will all be on display in the Baltimore Convention Center, at the EMS Today Conference February 25th to 28th, 2015.
About Durham County EMS
The mission of Durham County EMS is to enhance the health and welfare of the citizens of Durham County by providing a comprehensive, coordinated pre-hospital healthcare delivery system that is efficient, effective, and affordable. In emergency situations. As a part of this mission, EMS is dedicated to providing a comprehensive public education and injury prevention program that will serve to educate the community in injury prevention, the proper use of the system, and to further enhance care and reduce system abuse.
About Demers Ambulances
Demers Ambulances is a North American leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of ambulances, and one of the largest firms of its kind in North America. Over the past 55 years, Demers Ambulances has sold more than 18,000 ambulances to customers in over 20 countries. Demers Ambulances is accredited ISO 9001:2008 and certified by Transport Canada and the USA DOT, by the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) in the USA within their "MEMBER VERIFICATION PROGRAM", recognized as a "QUALIFIED VEHICLES MODIFIER" (QVM) by the Ford Motor Company, and as an approved up fitter for Mercedes Benz Sprinter Customer Assurance Program. Demers Ambulances meet the highest standards in the industry.
To learn more about Demers Ambulances, visit www.demers-ambulances.com.
[1] Based on internal Demers studies and estimates
SOURCE Demers-Ambulances inc.
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