By Sarah Roebuck
EMS1
LONDON — The new year brought a brand new, first-of-its-kind ambulance to the city of London.
The electric Ford ambulance made its maiden trip during a night shift on New Year’s Eve, a news release from London Ambulance Service states.
Paramedic Telma Ricardo Guerreiro and EMT Taylor Forde were the first to use the ambulance. Among the emergencies the pair responded to that night were a young person suffering a mental crisis, a patient with chest pains and someone who called 999 because they were coughing up blood.
The new ambulances, designed to be lightweight, come equipped with a powered trolley bed system and a powered carry chair for patient transport. They also include an integrated scanning system. This system scans the vehicle after each patient treatment, providing crews with immediate confirmation if the ambulance is fully stocked, a news release states.
In its initiative to replace existing vehicles with environmentally-friendly alternatives, the London Ambulance Service is collaborating with London hospitals, including Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, and Kings College Hospital. Their joint effort aims to establish high-powered electric vehicle charging ports at these hospitals for ambulance charging. Additionally, London Ambulance Service has already installed 56 charging stations at their ambulance facilities to support their electric vehicles.
Ford is the first original equipment manufacturer to supply the National Health Service with a base for Wietmarscher Ambulanz- und Sonderfahrzeug to build a fully electric ambulance. This vehicle can power all traditional ambulance needs including heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, and has sufficient battery life to last a full 12-hour shift.