EQUIPMENT

The Rescue Squad is licensed as a medical emergency transport agency.  This means that we must be aqble to transport patients to hospitals.  Accordingly, we operate several ambulances for the purpose of transporting patients.  We also operate an Emergency Response Vehicle, shown above, and an Emergency Assistance Vehicle for helping to get to patients in bad weather or a vehicle crash sites.  None-the-less, our primary response vehicle is the ambulance.

The purpose of the ambulance is transport the sick and injured to a hospital or other site where the appropriate level of medical care is available. 

Inside of the ambulance is a patient care area .  Rescue 24/Medic 2  patient care area is shown below.  What is immediately obvious is a cot with safety straps in the middle of the picture where the patient normally rides.  What is not obvious is what else is in the space.  Note the cabinets throughout the area.  Each cabinet has equipment and material for aiding the patient, such as,  bandages, tapes, cleaning solutions, ice and heating packs, breathing assist items, extra blankets, medical buckets and vessels, intravenous (IV) supplies, and specialty life saving supplies.

So what is that blue and white thing on with the red strap on the left side of the area.  That is a patient monitor.  The monitor allows medial personnel to monitor blood pressure, pulse rate, oxygen saturation levels, and heart function.  The blue top container just ahead of the monitor is a suction vessel, this is for removing stuff from an unconscious or very sick patients mouth when patients can't do it themselves.  Hard to see, but the little green thing ahead of the suction vessel is an oxygen outlet that allows the medical staff to assist the patient with oxygen therapy.  The black panel above the suction contains the patient area controls for lights, heat, air conditioning, and other area controls.  The big black clunky item is a  radio system for talking with the hospital.  When transporting patients it is mandatory that the patients condition be given the the receiving hospital.  The hospital then is prepared for the patients arrival and no time is lost in attending to critically ill persons.  Seats and benches round out the area.  The bench on the right side of the patient area allows the ambulance to carry two persons to the hospital at the same time.  The other seats are typically used by ambulance medical crew (The patient area shown here is on Rescue 24).

This is our newest ambulance purchased in 2005.  This is a Chevrolet unit with diesel engine and a very large patient area behind the cab. 

One might notice doors on the side of the ambulance.  The door opens on storage compartments.  These compartments house a variety of items used in assisting patients that injured in trauma events, car crashes, falls, boating accidents, etc.  In addition, some items are stored that allows ambulance crews to get people out of houses or areas where it a cot can not fit.   Crew and vehicle safety equipment is also stores in compartments around the ambulance.

RESCUE 23

This senior unit is also a Ford with diesel engine.  This unit will normally be seen operating out of our substation located near the corner of Route 202 and 604 (Cople Highway and Sandy Point Road)

Rescue 24/MEDIC 2 (Not Shown) is a sister ambulance to Rescue 23 and is the oldest, and real work horse, is this diesel powered Ford ambulance.  This unit is used by the Westmoreland County Office of Emergency Services as MEDIC 2.

RESCUE RESPONSE 2

Rescue Response 2 is a utility vehicle and it's primary purpose is to get certified technicians to critical patients rapidly. In addition, allows the squad to a variety of tasks without having to take an ambulance out of service or put miles and wear on the ambulance fleet.