In the January 2007 issue of Florida Fire Service magazine, James E. White, chief of department for Winter Park Fire Rescue, Fla., described how his department worked with Medtec to redesign the interior layout and improve the safety of medics riding inside the ambulance box.

Design changes to the department's latest two ambulances include moving the curbside door forward to give more room, relocating equipment to be within easy reach, and replacing the side bench seat with an individual contoured seat equipped with a five-point restraint system. To eliminate the need to have medics stand unrestrained while giving CPR, the department specified Auto-Pulse mechanical CPR devices.

Other improvements include changes to the exterior lighting and reflective tape on the ambulance body. A Stryker Power-Lift stretcher capable of handling very heavy patients was included with the new design to reduce lifting stresses on the medics.

For photos and information about the new ambulances, go to www.wpfd.org.

Drawings and specifications are available as PDFs here.