The Ambulance Purchasing Process: Part 1

Vehicle Ops is a new column in EMS Magazine that will address a variety of topics centering around emergency vehicle operations—everything from safe driv­ing techniques to ambulance maintenance to how to purchase an ambulance. The column will feature guest writers, as well as interviews with leading industry figures. Our mission is to help educate EMS providers on how best to operate the vehicles they place their trust in every day in a bid to reduce the number of accidents experienced by public safety personnel. If there is a particular topic you would like us to cover, e-mail emseditor@aol.com. This month’s column features the first half of a two-part interview by Associate Editor John Erich with Dale Leich, special-projects manager for Huntsville, AL-based ambulance manufacturer Excellance, Inc. Leich has a background in fire and EMS spanning more than three decades, and has been involved with emergency vehicle purchasing and sales since 1975.

EMS: Buying an ambulance seems like a complex decision. Do most departments truly appreciate how difficult the process is? Are they prepared for everything it entails?

Leich: We encounter a wide variety of purchasing methods and attitudes. Career organizations may have a single person designated as their “ambulance guru,” or a committee established to handle vehicle purchases. They’ve usually developed a set of basic standards and features over the years. Most of these folks are pretty well-informed as to what works best for their specific needs.

Small agencies and volunteer groups buy less often. Leadership turnover can be frequent, and the person or committee that ends up responsible for buying a new vehicle may not have any experience with such a large purchase. The wrong vehicle purchase by an organization of this size can have a great negative impact, since they will have to live with the results for many years.

EMS: Obviously, an ambulance buyer has to evaluate what he truly needs versus what he can do without. What resources are required to make these decisions? How does one go about preparing for the process?

Leich: Everyone will have their own ideas based upon their experiences, perceptions and ideas, and the “wish list” for most new ambulances will usually be larger than the allocated budget. First, determine what your vehicle need is, such as a simple Type II van or a larger vehicle like a Type I or III. That decision will strongly guide the available features and options you may include.

It’s probably best to make two lists of the items you want on the vehicle. One should include “must have” items, and the second should include “nice to have” features, so you can do a cost/benefit analysis. Vendors can typically provide you with itemized pricing for optional items.

EMS: If you’re happy with a vendor you’ve used in the past, does it make sense to just stick with them, or is it wiser to continually shop around?

Leich: Folks are resistant to change just for the sake of change, so they may feel it best to simply order another vehicle from the vendor they’ve used in the past. This is probably the least controversial and most comfortable method, especially for volunteer groups, but it can present problems from time to time.

Even if you’re happy with your current vendor, it’s still best to do some homework and study how your ambulances are used. BLS units, ALS units, fire-rescue units, etc., can have different storage and working requirements. Has your agency upgraded from BLS to ALS, and do you now require more equipment storage? Are you encountering more multiple-patient calls that require larger vehicles? Are you planning to carry hazmat, decon, WMD equipment?

EMS: How big a difference does the chassis make? What are the considerations in selecting that?

Leich: Selecting an adequate chassis is a big point of concern today, since there is a wide variety of styles to choose from—manufacturers such as Ford, GM, International, Freightliner and Sterling. Each size and style has its advantages and disadvantages. It’s best to design the ambulance you require first, before deciding on a suitable chassis. Most manufacturers have a “preferred” chassis they may suggest to you, but be sure they’re not just trying to push one of their “stock” chassis when you really need something with better performance. Not all chassis manufacturers have products that are user-friendly in terms of local service, available options, etc. It becomes a big headache if you select a chassis where the closest authorized service facility is hours away. This is especially true with the larger chassis, which tend to have regional dealers and service shops. And even if you do have a local service facility nearby, ensure that they can actually work on your specified chassis. Do they have the manuals, diagnostic equipment and normal spare parts to provide you with timely repairs, or will your vehicle sit in their parking lot for weeks?

Part 2 of this interview will appear in the April issue of EMS.

Buyer’s Tip: User Surveys

“Progressive organizations may use a formal survey to capture feedback from their crews about their current ambulances and what changes they might recommend,” says Leich. “A wide range of suggestions can be expected; each should be evaluated as to practicality and cost. Having participated in such surveys during my EMS career, I was sometimes surprised as to the relatively simple suggestions that really were practical and cost-effective to adopt.”