1. Introduction to Ford Transit Ambulance Specifications
Ford Transit Ambulance Specifications; With society becoming more modern by the hour, it seems like the speed of living has also increased. First, it was only medical services that became faster, with online doctor consultations being prominent today, and now ambulance services are also becoming faster. So the question arises: what factors lead to such fast services? And the answer is Ford Transits. With quick handling and utmost comfort for both the patients and doctors or paramedics being immensely essential, Ford Transit offers the best platform for ambulance service. Be it quick movements or long drives, the exemplary handling characteristics of the Ford Transit are known for making the movement feel like a breeze. The spacious side loading door with low step-in height is ideal for loading and unloading of patients.
The side-facing seating arrangement provides maximum space for medical equipment and creates a very relaxed atmosphere inside the vehicle. With a wide range of emergency warning systems such as Blue Light Kits, an Alert messaging, and warning control unit, the full equipment of the Ford Transit Ambulance ensures quick transport at any time. With the Ford Transit, an especially economical operational concept is born because all the advantages in the sum represent significant savings. The improved residual value of the high-quality vehicle, the low fuel consumption, and low wear-and-tear costs result in an exceptional total cost of ownership. The good environmental performance and best CO2 emission values make the Ford Transit the preferred vehicle for ambulance services. The Ford Transit Ambulance leads to fast and comfortable patient transport.
1.1. Overview of Ford Transit Ambulance Models
Florida’s State Procurement Office ensures the procurement of Ford Transit Ambulance specifications are in compliance with the requirements of Section 765.535, Florida Statutes, Government Efficiency Task Force directives, and meet the specialized gas tests required by Federal law. These specialized ambulances are used primarily in departments of health, fire and emergency services, and public safety throughout the state. These specialized ambulances are agile enough to function efficiently even in heavily congested urban areas and versatile enough to dominate on remote rural roads. This state-of-the-art concept has utilized the rear-wheel drive with many advanced benefits. Additionally, any design feature that allows optimum function in response to safety concerns is an important part of this complete solution. The movement towards a stylistic, aerodynamic vehicle design is a cost-effective and intrinsic approach to the advancement of the state-of-the-art in emergency vehicle design. Integral body panel construction provides for a completely smooth and dual, full side panel exterior that maximizes anti-penetration resistance against an accidental road hazard.
Ford Transit Ambulance 346 High Roof (ZF2J3G) is currently the only Ford Transit Ambulance model offered on the SPECS (State Price Agreement) website. It is the flagship model, an ambulance with sophisticated equipment and demand for more room and flat floor height. This model promises the maximum standard 148 extended wheelbase of the Ford Transit Cargo Van high roof with dual wheels. The 346 High Roof model comes complete with a myriad of standard equipment and options at a price greatly reduced compared to the additional time and cost of converting the ambulance body to another model. Other models may require additional medical equipment to be transferred from another ambulance. Ford Transit Ambulances develop favorable clientele from U.S. states and Canada for its advanced first-aid rescue concept, along with the superior passenger bus and versatile van. This ultimate concept leads to a new generation style to improve the effectiveness of an ambulance vehicle in height parameter, which is intentionally designed to win the lead in emergency vehicle design evolution. The resulting ambulance door opening clearances maximize the interior cabin space, providing a required inside headroom of 1.50 meters and a minimum required interior width of 1.52 meters. The station space allows for easy patient care and infection control practices close to the treatment space. The 2080mm side entry door cover maximizes the dimension that permits flexible task performance. In addition, it secures a faster patient evacuation time for the medical team in a crisis standpoint. With the increased demand for a higher room demand, the revised exterior height feature is primarily applied to higher ceiling-grade cargo van ambulance models.
2. Design and Layout Ford Transit Ambulance Specifications
For good operation, any vehicle must be designed and laid out to accommodate passenger safety, with particular emphasis on the driver, and to accommodate the driver’s operating convenience. The design must accomplish maximal efficiency, operational pleasurableness, agency economy, and aesthetic appearance. The economic needs of the passengers and owner are important as well. A safe and satisfied driver is crucial in addition to all medical necessities, maintenance service, and warranty backups, in achieving reliability and achieving long, satisfactory usage.
The vehicle engine, capacity and capability for the intended functions, maintenance expense, ease and frequency of routine maintenance, and downtime for major maintenance schedules are part of the operational feasibility of the vehicle and must be ideally matched to vehicle employment. For the response of the vehicle, facilities such as operational stability, body rigidity, cost control, and the stan loading must all be considered. Design and layout of any facility is the aspect of engineering and design that forestalls most complaints and operational problems. Users should be picky about them.
2.1. Interior Layout Features Ford Transit Ambulance Specifications
As specified in the European Norm EN 1789 in 2014, the layout of the ambulance compartment is identified as the main set of demands that must meet the crucial realities that lead to the action of resuscitating or curing a patient. Moreover, one must understand that such a layout must meet a set of essential conditions even for the most common commercial ambulances. It is thus clear to see the need to form a strong and direct relationship between the number and position of the seats in an ambulance and the new safety devices that aim to reduce the incidence and severity of injuries.
The design of the interior should consider the service portfolio, which is not limited to the transportation of patients in emergency or urgency situations, but also the patient’s polymorphism and his/her position to the cabin support. The plurality of standards identified for the functionalities that an ambulance can fulfill leads to the design of two differentiated layouts—A and B—in order to accommodate various operational and ergonomic requirements. These layouts must make efficient use of the space available in side compartments and accommodate state-of-the-art technologies without losing compatibility with safety devices that prevent damage in an impact situation. For example, the implementation of a layout type will determine the number and position of the seats for the professional staff, the position of the stretcher with the patient, as well as the space intended for equipment, matrices, drugs, oxygen, etc. There is a clear classification of ambulances with a total number of 1–16 patient-transportable places. These categories are deeply influenced by the need for multimodal transportation, i.e., the possibility of both lying positions.
2.2. Exterior Design Elements
The front profile The vehicle’s forward design should be aerodynamically improved whilst incorporating bridge angle limitations and meeting the specifications of both for the requested post-impact serviceability, and dimensional restrictions. The lowest point in front of the cabin should comfortably allow safe pedestrian impacts, while this point should meet the low level lamps and reflectors requirements. The maximum allowable high point near the front of the roof should be measured for HGV urban cycle applications. Headlamp intensities should be specified to meet requirements, according to which on either side of the vehicle, and at a distance “d” (defined by the vehicle’s height) in front of the vehicle, the right aiming angle should not exceed 13 deg, distance “D” should not exceed 40 m, and the elevation angle and the inclination angle should not be exceeded.
2.2.2. The side profile and lateral lamps The design of the side of the vehicle should adhere to high recognition requirements related to the patient compartment, for good vehicle recognition, while the length of the MOR of the visual enhancement system should be additionally considered in accordance with the relevant Code of practice. The vehicle’s corner post, if present, should be visible under certain peak brightness requirements. The visibility should not be obscured at certain angles from the vehicle induction modification. The low level rear pelvis angle and the centre level pelvis angle (for high severity impact angular region) should be optimised for different vehicle widths, and may have a minimum of 0.4 m and a maximum of 0.8 m, according to requirements, to improve the rearward visibility area. Furthermore, the low level steady state luminance level should meet the class I and class 0 requirements to safeguard vulnerable road users from the risk results of the supplement number 2 regulations. Finally, the requested nearside danger area should be assured.
3. Medical Equipment and Technology – Ford Transit Ambulance Specifications
In order to ensure a fully operational emergency service, vital medical equipment and technologies should be included in the ambulance to run daily duties. The concept is to give emergency medical treatment easily and all medical equipment is ready for use in a life-threatening condition. For that purpose, there are several medical devices in the ambulances, some of which are mandatory, but the others are optional and in some cases the kind of medical instrument may be different in various countries or according to the standards presented by the European Union. According to EEC 70/156 Regulation for road ambulances: “Each class of ambulance must be equipped with the instruments and the materials required to ensure that effective first aid can be given to casualties”.
At a minimum, these medical devices will include oxygen, bag-valve-mask resuscitators, suction apparatus with a wide bore catheter in order to remove vomitus and other secretions from the patient’s airway; a portable electronic diagnostic device to perform a 12-lead ECG (the specific regulations define that medic should take 4-channel EKGs for accurate diagnosis); automated external defibrillator (AED); various bandages or populations-plaster, crutches and other measures to be stabilized in the spine; stretcher fixed with belts.
3.1. Standard Medical Equipment
This part describes the standard equipment per EN 1789 (regarding the European Union), as well as some other countries. However, for specific details, please refer to the country’s law and ministries of health. This part covers quality control (areas as requirements, materials, built-in equipment), outside structure, inside equipment, electrical system, air-conditioning system, optional requirements, and a number of crew members. This part, in particular, should give general information about a determined future ambulance.
Nº Category US Specification European specification Australian specification Mat. L. M. M. M. A. Ins. 1 Movable and fixed medical support and work surfaces The medical support may be in the form of work surfaces that are used to hold a patient and to support medical devices used for patient care. Any materials and contamination surface should be similar to the one used for work surfaces or the same materials as those mentioned above. Sq. tube section, Aluminium or stainless steel, per your Engineering DV, Para 500 Sq. apps. 2 Object security Ensures the security of any specific objects and that should be carried within designated areas A lockable specific object storage to the back of the vehicle Distributed storage and mounting, heating and cold chain storage container Stainless Seal building to the furniture Work surfaces with furniture seal 3 Special Services depending on EMS system or the requirement of local jurisdiction Office of EMS should further specify if equipment is required AMK depends on the staff in the ambulance and the agreement within Portugal such as INEM N/A N/A ? 4 Spillage for contaminated material Type II vehicles (One of the features for the spillage is that the area should facilitate decontaminating the inside of the ambulance and there must be a procedure to decontaminate the equipment) Type I vehicles (The floor may be drainable, with non-slip and with drain plugs. There should, however, be a partition between the area where the patient is accommodated and the drainage floor) Type A classified vehicle (an easily washable floor, with a smooth and homogeneous surface and not covered) ? ? Grid
3.2. Advanced Technological Features
Ambulance systems have reached an operational stage in line with current emergency ambulance services. Technical equipment of emergency ambulances has reached a high level thanks to the developing technology. When ambulance design is examined, it is seen that both the interior physical structure and technical equipment are important. Especially, the certification of ambulances in international standards and the completion of controls to achieve the desired quality level are of vital importance. For the purpose of reducing the response time of the emergency service providers who are expected to participate in the accidents or to make the necessary interventions in the accident areas and thereby gaining time for speeding the process to the hospital, the ambulances should be designed as fast, powerful and environmentally friendly. Ambulances provide services of a more sensitive and delicate nature and it is crucial that the necessary precautions are taken in accordance with medical needs.
Ambulances are among the vehicles which are designed to safely transport the injured and wounded to hospitals, such as tow trucks, temporary tents, temporary traffic signs and portable ramp systems. In the event of accidents, the life-threatening services provided by ambulances can be hampered by damage to infrastructure such as roadways, drainage systems, and communication systems. It can be difficult for drivers to identify the location of the accident information, be accurately aware of the location of the nearest hospital or emergency scenes because the accident scene signs, such as traffic lights can be damaged. Emergency ambulance services must operate effectively and efficiently in the most difficult conditions, for example, after natural disasters. High mobility, high capacity, and capabilities are important for the response of emergency services. In the present study, comprehensive information has been provided for the specifications of the Ford Transit ambulance. The aim of the current research is to demonstrate how an ambulance, which is a vehicle whose certification and standard features are ensured with international standards, is constructed.
4. Performance and Safety Features
4.1 Performance The Ford Transit ambulance is fitted with a 3.7-liter, 275-horsepower V6 engine that offers 260 pound-feet of torque. Along with a 4.10 differential ratio, the engine provides improved acceleration in less time. The engineers at Ford have proven to have great safety measures embedded in all the components. In case of severe impacts, all the implemented safety gears would strengthen the stability. Additionally, Ford has also enforced the rear ultra-stable roll design that was approved through experiments for stabilization. The chassis was also fitted with front and rear heavy-duty stabilizer bars that are inserted to defeat cornering roll.
4.2 Safety Features The vehicle architecture ensures compatibility and damage control, occupation energy management technologies, safety cell components, and vehicle characteristics, including NVHH (narrow overlap vehicle-to-vehicle front impact) that are designed to reduce crash energy. Ford features a cocoon-style interior designed for safety to protect the patient inside. There has always been constant importance given to the head, chest/abdomen, and contour oriented around the loaded conditions as well as the size of the occupant. The safety of the occupants has been enhanced with pedestrian safety, accident prevention, and other features that could stabilize cabin occupants. With intrusion bars and pedestrian head impact features fitted in the front pillar, the Ford Transit ensures maximum safety. Ford door beams protect all the door sides from the front, rear, and center. Specially installed chest side airbags and curtain side airbags could provide sustained safety in the event of an accident.
4.1. Engine Specifications and Performance Ford Transit Ambulance Specifications
Engines are the main source of power generation, and the choice of the engine for ambulances is of great importance. At the same time, the choice of the engine is closely related to the conditions and the weights of operation ahead. In this chapter, the most suitable engine for ambulances has been planned by partially analyzing the ambulances in the same group. Word brands were evaluated according to the performance statistics of these engines and specific fuel consumption, noise values at the speed preferably used in ambulances, in addition to the power-weight ratio before the choice was made. Noisy engines will be ineffective in communication between medical personnel and patients. As a result of this analysis, the best result Ford Motor Company scored the Ford Transit with its 2.0 engine comparison 2.5L enterprises in the fuel consumption, noise, and performance. Low noise, mid-level operating speed, performance (150 hp) score Ford Transit, as 27HP/ton performance can be supported with comfort for the vehicle to speed up, provides the comfort of the vehicle.
Econetic technology in the vehicle with the lowest fuel consumption of the medium speed is located below the new engines today. The used 2.0-liter Ford Transit vehicle has a 6-speed gearbox and transmits to the four-wheel drive. The fuel consumption information provides detailed support for possible savings. Lowest values were obtained in the city (urban) areas with 35.40L/100 wheezing. Considering the panic, data of rural (out of town) operation were observed at 10, the fuel consumption was 14.15L/100 m. Considering the fact that the vehicle is suitable for use within the city, the low sound information obtained from the reports and the power generated at optimal speed, Ford Transit vehicle has the highest level of performance among Ford Transit ambulances. The company went one step further and instead of the 2.5L engine used in the other model produced no use the more efficient more powerful engine. For the number one selection of engine of the company, which has production in many countries, the fleet register is high where service and spare parts are available, and internal, external; It was a good decision that TSE approval was exceeded in all respects. Ford Transit vehicle, which is based on this data, was considered as the first option in the research.
4.2. Safety Features and Regulations Ford Transit Ambulance Specifications
Studying the safety features of an ambulance is very important as they will help not only the patient but also the ambulance crew in heavy transportation. Ambulance transportation is more road-specific and is different from the passenger car category. Ambulance services are most important for emergency situations and will get the patient within the agricultural, urban, and engineering areas. So when designing an emergency vehicle, the primary objective should be the transfer of patients and their accompanying staff to a health center, rather than considering ease of driving, comfort and use, purchase cost, or operating budget.
The requirements for medical transportation are different from those for regular passengers. Ambulances should have a first aid kit, two-ply disposable sheets, a collapsible washbowl, at least twenty units of vehicle-mounted oxygen, at least one blanket that absorbs blood, two vacuum rolls, a portable oxygen mask, an adult stethoscope, an adult blood pressure cuff, gloves, an oxygen inhaler, a drip bottle, a plaster roll, and a cervical collar. They should have places to place all these materials safe and easy to access when necessary. Ambulances are called emergency vehicles and they have special privileges and can exceed traffic rules according to traffic laws. Due to these rights, ambulances are at great risk, so features such as lighting, sirens, and audible warning devices are equally crucial.
5. Conclusion and Future Developments
In this study, a Ford Transit ambulance sample was taken from an ambulance firm that provides services in 39 districts of Istanbul. After the alteration process, the automated vehicle was tested for acceleration performance. Then, the first responder journey of the ambulance was simulated with the simulation software. As a result of both the loading chamber design and the journey-based contact points, a Ford Transit ambulance prototype was designed and produced. This prototype made a significant contribution to the increase in the mission success of the ambulances and to the paramedics providing pre-hospital care in terms of human physiological and psychological aspects.
In this study, a Ford Transit ambulance was investigated and developed in every aspect. The interior of the vehicle is reorganized, increasing the comfort of both patients and doctors with the redeveloped first responder journey. Moreover, it has an advantage with the special design and accessories defined by the wheelchair design for disabled patients. The daily hospital-patient transfer journey was examined and the essential needs were listed. Then, the project was designed according to these needs. This design also made it an advantage for the vehicle operating company. In addition, the vehicle base was not changed. This will lead to a decrease in the investment cost of the company. With the project, ambulance connection prototyping, ventilation, and equipment testing were performed. This design will positively contribute to paramedics who serve human health.
