The Virginia Office of EMS no longer offers a state contract for Type I, Type II and III ambulances.
However, the Virginia Office of EMS and the Transportation Committee of the state EMS Advisory Board feel it is important to provide guidance and information to EMS agencies that are considering purchasing a new or replacement ambulance for their emergency fleet.
For helpful suggestions and information about things to consider when purchasing an ambulance, please click here.
In addition, please refer to the Ambulance Patient Compartment Human Factors Design Guidebook (the Guidebook) that has been developed as a best practices guide to help augment safer work and patient care environment. It is a result of a multiyear effort on the part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) First Responders Group (FRG). It is intended to provide tools and guidance to the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) community that will enable the design and manufacture of ambulance patient compartments that are safer and more efficient. The FRG received support in the development of the Guidebook through collaboration between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), BMT Designers and Planners (D&P), and Carlow International as well as input from members of the EMS community representing both EMS providers (EMSP) and manufacturers.
This Guidebook provides examples and recommendations for the steps to take when designing an ambulance patient compartment and best practices that can help reduce EMS provider and patient injuries. This document will also help streamline the compartment layout and make it more conducive to providing patient care. The Guidebook has been developed to be beneficial to EMS leaders, EMS providers, ambulance specification committees and manufacturers. The Guidebook is not intended to provide solutions or a standard design, but to establish a framework for the EMS community to implement a higher level of safety and patient care quality. The Guidebook is built upon an analysis of current standards and recommendations and will help EMS providers through a needs-centered process that leads to a next-generation ambulance interior focused on safety, effectiveness and efficiency.
If you have an interest in reviewing EMS vehicle specifications for functional adequacy and safety to ensure design features contribute to the efficiency of the unit and facilitate good patient care or would like to comment on medical equipment and supply requirements for permitted EMS Vehicles in Virginia, please consider attending a quarterly meeting of the state EMS Transportation committee. Meeting dates, time and location can be found on the OEMS Web site on the “Calendar of Events” page, state EMS Advisory Board and Committees.