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Wellington Free Ambulance / Who We Are / Equipment |
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WHO WE ARE
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Paramedic Equipment The paramedics of Wellington Free Ambulance rely on the latest medical equipment as part of their job. From frontline ambulances and stretchers to defibrillators and suction units, this equipment plays a key role in their ability to provide life-saving assistance in an emergency. Below is a list of some of this commonly used equipment. If you would like to contribute toweards the funding of this equipment, then please click on the appropriate link below. Images of our vehicles can also be viewed in our gallery.
Wellington Free Ambulance currently operates 19 Mercedes Sprinters as frontline emergency ambulances around the greater Wellington region. These V6, 3.8 litre diesel vehicles are custom-built in the Germany Mercedes Factory with extra airbags and an oversized fuel tanks, then shipped to New Zealand where they undergo conversion into an ambulance. The finished vehicle has sliding doors on both sides, warning devices (lights and sirens) and a modified rear compartment for a stretcher and other medical equipment. The vehicle is finished in reflective yellow to make it highly visible to other drivers.
Wellington Free Ambulance currently operates five Mercedes Sprinters as patient transfer ambulances around the greater Wellington region. These V6, 3.8 litre diesel vehicles are custom-built in the Germany Mercedes Factory with extra airbags and an oversized fuel tanks, then shipped to New Zealand where they undergo conversion into a patient transfer ambulance. The finished vehicle warning devices (lights and sirens) and a modified rear compartment for a PowerPro stretcher and other medical equipment. It also has the capacity to fit additional patients who do not require a stretcher during transport.
Wellington Free Ambulance currently operates three of the 3.2 Litre Diesel DID Mitsubishi Pajero vehicles as Rapid Response Units around the greater Wellington region. These Rapid Response vehicles are typically crewed by an ICP (Intensive Care Paramedic), and are used to move rapidly to the scene of a vehicle accident or other serious emergency, allowing the ICP to utilise their advanced paramedic training for the patient's benefit and to coordinate the scene with Fire and Police. The vehicle is equipped with a Lifepak defibrillator and other life-saving equipment.
This 3.2 Litre Diesel DID Mitsubishi Pajero is used as part of the Urgent Community Care (UCC) pilot that is operating on the Kapiti Coast. This vehicle contains an ECP (Extended Care Paramedic) who can attend specified patients and offer advanced medical care and support - as one of the UCC pilot concepts is to provide an alternative to transporting patients to hospital, this vehicle does not contain a stretcher for patient transfer.
The Wellington Free Ambulance Rescue Squad operates two four wheel drive vehicles as part of its fleet - a Mitsubishi Triton and a Chevrolet Suburban. The 2.8 litre Diesel Triton Rescue vehicle is used to navigate difficult-terrain areas, such as forest/ tramping and rocky regions, that an ambulance would not be able to access. It has a winch attached at the front (with a 9,000 kilo pulling capacity), useful for extracting vehicles from dangerous situations. The vehicle itself contains advanced medical and patient recovery equipment that the WFA Rescue Squad paramedics utilise in an emergency.
The TeamFree Events Unit currently operates three of the 6 litre, V8 Chevrolet Silverado vehicles at part of its event fleet. These ambulance have previously been part of the frontline emergency ambulance fleet for the service, but following their decommission from active duty they've been put to good use by the TeamFree Event Medics. These ambulances contain a stretcher in the rear compartment of the vehicle, as well as a range of medical equipment for event use.
When the heart has trouble beating regularly, it can go into a state of tachycardia (tachy - fast, cardia - heart) whereby it sort of "flutters" instead of pulsing regularly. This fluttering is termed fibrillation and is extremely life threatening, since blood is not being pushed around the body as normal. The Lifepak 15 defibrillator applies a sharp electric shock to the heart, by the positioning of two electrodes with conductive gel at specific sites on the skin. The shock is like a ‘slap in the face’ to the heart - it makes the cardiac muscle fibres contract, pause and, hopefully, regain their rhythm. Paramedics use this device on a daily basis to shock a patient’s heart in the event of a cardiac arrest, with one of these units carried in every frontline emergency ambulance.
The Lifepak 1000 Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) is a powerful basic life support tool for the patient, carried in our patient transfer ambulances and other service vehicles. In the event of a cardiac arrest, this powerful machine can provide a potentially life-saving shock to the patient, and is able to be operated easily and effectively - variations of these units are becoming increasingly available in large businesses or at community centres for the public to use in the event of an emergency.
The Stryker Rugged M1 stretcher is a key piece of equipment for our frontline paramedics, with every frontline ambulance equipped with one of these units. These stretchers are flexible thanks to a wheel swivel system, which gives our paramedics the ability to turn the unit more easily - very important when considering that patients often need transport to and from narrow and windy areas. They are primarily built for single person operation, with retractable legs that fold up and out when the stretcher is placed into / removed from the ambulance.
Wellington Free Ambulance has recently moved to a new motorised stretcher for its patient transfer fleet – the Stryker Power-PRO TL powered ambulance cot. One of the key reasons for moving to a motorised stretcher is to reduce the amount of manual lifting that our frontline paramedics are required to take, thus reducing the likelihood of injury and that paramedic being taken out of action. An innovative battery-operated hydraulic system that raises/lowers patient at the touch of a button and a range of stretcher position options makes this the ideal stretcher for our patient transfer ambulances.
A Suction Unit is a standard piece of equipment for a frontline ambulance, and arguably one of its most important over a range of emergencies. It’s purpose is to maintain a patient’s airway, so it is commonly used in cardiac arrest situations and when a patient is unconscious. It works like a vacuum to clear away any debris/obstruction to the patient’s airway and to promote breathing.
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