McCoy Miller showed the first unit of a new side-loading ambulance at FDIC. The body is specifically designed to position medical personnel in forward- or rearward-facing seats, rather than side-facing seats, for improved safety.

The body is built on a Ford E-450 cutaway cab and chassis and features sliding doors on both sides to allow easy loading. According to the manufacturer, the sliding doors don’t stick out from the vehicle as much as regular hinged doors and will stay open under windy conditions.

Inside the ambulance compartment, the attendant seats allow full access to the patient from both forward- and rearward-facing positions. Cabinets and other objects were minimized in the areas above and around the seats to further reduce the potential for head-strike injuries.

McCoy Miller plans to show the new design at several major EMS shows around the country to preview the concept and gather comments.