21 July 2008

New Ambulances

| johnboy
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Last week Simon Corbell unveiled five new ambulances.

Considering they take the total up to 20 this is a major addition.

    “The three extra ambulance vehicles and two replacement vehicles have been provided by the ACT Government at a cost of $910,400. The five new vehicles – four Intensive Care Ambulances and one Patient Transport Unit – feature:

  • improved high-visibility markings;
  • LED warning lights that use new technology to draw greater attention to the vehicles under emergency conditions;
  • orange “low-glow” exterior lighting to improve visibility at night;
  • new module designs to facilitate the introduction of new and emerging pre-hospital technologies; and
  • reversing cameras.”

And they’re Mercedes, noice.

UPDATED: Also while in the neighbourhood Simon Corbell is calling on you all to get CPR qualified.

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politikos said :

I don’t understand why first aid isn’t in the school curriculum. It is in the USA!

problem is, that the carers – parents, grandparents don’t have a good understanding of new first aid methods. look at choking. Heimlich maneuver isn’t used anymore, due to the damage it can cause internally, as well as crack a child’s rib.

but when my mother in law saw my daughter choking, the first thing she did was work out which way her hands went to perform the maneuver. I had to just slap my daughter between the shoulder blades to dislodge the piece of food.

I don’t understand why first aid isn’t in the school curriculum. It is in the USA!

Everyone should purchase at least one CPR mask (Not the plastic sheet type – but the proper over mouth and nose plastic mask – and keep it in your car.

These help keep biohazards down for both parties, make a better seal than a mouth on mouth and will help in the event of a victim wearing a helmet.

In saying so I do not have one in my car, I know I should, but Mrs Danman does.

simbo said :

I dunno – if basic CPR training brings people back to life (and … well, not to brag or nothing, but I did some CPR about five months ago, having not done first aid training for almost 20 years), then it does rather better than having a lot of people who have no idea what they’re doing at all hanging about.

CPR is a basic, fast, useful skill, and one that you hopefully can never lose. Full first aid training takes longer and, while yes, it helps too, not everyone has time to do the whole thing.

what, 2 days?

rather know basic first aid skills to identify potential harm to the person,
like not to remove a helmet from a bikie who has been knocked off his bike in an accident, and keep them calm, if they are conscious. (if they stop breathing, you have to make a judgement call, but it is a difficult thing to do, considering the damage to their neck or head in the helmet)
someone who is trapped in a car – how to provide cpr if required
how to deal with most minor accidents

Whilst CPR is a good thing to know, other first aid techniques may play a minor, yet critical role as well.

simbo said :

I dunno – if basic CPR training brings people back to life (and … well, not to brag or nothing, but I did some CPR about five months ago, having not done first aid training for almost 20 years), then it does rather better than having a lot of people who have no idea what they’re doing at all hanging about.

CPR is a basic, fast, useful skill, and one that you hopefully can never lose. Full first aid training takes longer and, while yes, it helps too, not everyone has time to do the whole thing.

TIt changes though. Last i heatrd it was 30 comps for 2 breaths but 100 comps / minute, that is exhausting!

I dunno – if basic CPR training brings people back to life (and … well, not to brag or nothing, but I did some CPR about five months ago, having not done first aid training for almost 20 years), then it does rather better than having a lot of people who have no idea what they’re doing at all hanging about.

CPR is a basic, fast, useful skill, and one that you hopefully can never lose. Full first aid training takes longer and, while yes, it helps too, not everyone has time to do the whole thing.

The Mercs are used by pretty much every Metro Ambulance Service in Australia, if they had major problems I’d doubt they’d be using them. Interesting that they all have bullbars, the factsheet says they’re perfectly safe though.. and used mostly for running down kangaroos.

Vic Bitterman10:21 pm 21 Jul 08

nanzan said :

Becoming a paramedic takes something like three years of training

Guess it depends. My mate in Queensland has just started with their paramedic/ambulance equivalents in Brisbane. He’s a cabinet maker by trade, and has been for almost 20 years. He’s been thinking about a career change for ages, and I guess this one is most certainly a change!

He’s undergoing a 6 week training course with them (ie, on the job, being paid, he’s already been accepted etc) and then commencing real life duties!

Now I’m not sure whether he will also be enrolled in some sort of degree or diploma whilst he commences his work…. but he certainly has no medical background or training prior to starting last week!!

Actually it may not help – the links was empty! The history is interesting though…

While on the topic of paramedics, does anyone know where the ACT’s paramedics study?

I mean, we know the AFP has its police college in Barton, and the ACT Fire Brigade has its college in Belconnen, but where do paramedics become paramedics in the ACT?

Interstate there are something like 8 universities now that offer degrees in paramedical studies (such as Monash, QUT, CSU, Ballarat, ACU, VUT etc), but no such courses are offered in the ACT. Becoming a paramedic takes something like three years of training, so there must be some substantial setup for it, somewhere in Canberra, but where?

re the update, if simon corbell wants to fund my first aid certification, that I do every year, great. if he wants us all to learn cpr, but not the basic first aid that goes with it, look out!

People will be resuscitating and moving a bike / car / motorcycle accident victim without realising that they may have a back or spinal injury.

We need to ensure that everyone learns first aid, not just CPR.

captainwhorebags3:09 pm 21 Jul 08

Now if only we had somewhere that these ambulances could take sick people, that wasn’t already overcrowded.

I had a Vito once, wished I went with a Tranny! The build quality was a bit ordinary IMO. Most ambulances seem to be Mercs, the sprinter is a favourite world wide, i think its the height that makes them ideal? I doubt my Mitubishi express would be ideal for the job for instance!

True, but I think the decision will be regretted in the future when things start to go wrong with them. You can have the best paramedics in the world and have perfect driving conditions but if the damn Mercedes isn’t running or is too expensive to run the cost will be care to the community.

Ok, they look the business (and were needed) and if you really need one who cares what they are but unfortunately Mercedes means too expensive, unreliable and underpowered not to mention that the air conditioning will not work well in Australian conditions. I’m guessing that they got a really good purchase price but as a result servicing will cost a fortune and be slooooow.

Police use the Mercedes Vito and I don’t know anybody who is happy with them.

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