RMH Acquires New Ambulance

12/19/2011

Richland Memorial Hospital recently added a new ambulance to their fleet. Following the Hospital Board’s approval of the purchase of the new unit in July, a Chevrolet G4500 Ambulance was purchased. This vehicle will be replacing a 1998 Ford E-350 Series Ambulance that has approximately 265,000 miles on it.

According to Jeff Johnson, Director of Ambulance Services at Richland Memorial Hospital, the vehicle will be used mostly for inter-hospital transfers.

“We usually average about 24 transfers per month,” noted Johnson.

With the upgrade of the new ambulance also comes the upgrade of several important safety features. The new unit includes an occupant restraint system for the ambulance crew in the patient compartment area as well as an updated exterior warning light package that should improve visibility for other vehicles on the road.

The vehicle was placed into service the beginning of November.

With the department employing around 20 EMT’s, they typically have one crew on 24 hours a day with another crew on call. When possible, they staff an extra crew between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm to help out with any extra runs or transfers that may arise.