For more than two years, members of the Ambulance Manufacturers Division of the National Truck Equipments Association have worked with the General Services Administration to revise the AMD standards.

The result is AMD Standards 001–025 that are to be used in conjunction with the federal specification for the Star-of-Life Ambulance, KKK-A-1822F. Highlights of the changes include 10 new AMD Standards, and numerous changes to improve the 15 existing standards and harmonize them with the GSA specification. AMD Standards 016–025 are new criteria and cover testing guidelines for:

• Patient compartment lighting levels
• Road test
• Rear step and bumper static load
• Cabinets and compartment measuring
• Floor distributed load
• Aspirator system for the primary patient
• Cold engine start
• Siren performance
• Perimeter illumination
• Occupant head clearance zones

The existing and new standards are posted on www.ntea.com and available by clicking on free downloads.

AMD standards are performance tests that work in conjunction with the Star-of-Life Ambulance Specification to verify that certain requirements of the Specification are met. Federal laws and regulations require that all motor vehicles, including ambulances, operated on public highways conform and be certified to all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. The FMVSS set the performance requirements for the safety of new motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment. All AMD Standards are in addition to, and in no way substitute for, FMVSS and other federal requirements that apply to motor vehicles and other regulated aspects of ambulances and their intended functions.