Product Showcase: Vehicles & Safety

Safety for EMS personnel begins with the equipment surrounding them: vehicles, cleaning systems, restraint configurations, and patient care technology. As a service to our readers, EMS World presents this showcase of companies offering the latest in vehicle design, cleaning systems, and accessories with safety in mind.

ActivTek Health Solutions: ActivePure

With the rise of COVID-19, infection prevention and control have become hot topics. But even with UVC and fogging or misting systems, we are often forced to shut down ambulances for decontamination while introducing more toxins and carcinogens into the environment. We now have nonintrusive, healthy options. 

Award-winning ActivePure technology’s significant microbe and odor reduction greatly reduces infection rates and cross-contamination while promoting a clean and healthy environment. This dry hydrogen peroxide is dispersed throughout the vehicle/facility with the air current purifying and decontaminating the air, surfaces, and fabrics immediately on contact. These molecules annihilate bacteria, viruses, molds, and VOCs where they first appear, instead of needing to pass through a unit for treatment. UVC can deactivate bacteria, but studies show bacteria can reactivate. Filters may capture pathogens but act as a breeding ground for more of the same. Misting/fogging systems often introduce more chemicals and toxins. Not only is ActivePure healthy to breathe 24/7, it also helps patients with COPD or other respiratory issues breathe and sleep better—and will keep your vehicle and facility (including filters) purified consistently. 

ActivePure has recently been tested in a biolevel 3 and 4 FDA-certified lab to kill live SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the FDA has just approved one of our products as a Class II medical device. We are conducting a double-blind trial with the Cleveland Clinic to test against surgical-site infections and are confident we’ll show very favorable results.

activTek Health Solutions has been protecting first responders for over a decade and outfitted about 1,000 ambulances last year. Firefighter cancer is an obvious concern with the volume of carcinogens inhaled daily, but after installing ActivePure in fire apparatus, the results are unquestionable, and personnel are enthusiastic about the lack of smoke and odors. 

HealthCall: Wellness Screens to Prevent COVID Spread

HealthCall is leading the advance of in-home care delivery and eliminating barriers for underserved populations. We are the platform behind the dedicated people caring for our most at-risk populations: the ones aging at home and those suffering with chronic disease, addiction, and COVID-19, as well as the growing segment of uninsured and underinsured.

Our patented care-coordination platform puts patients at the center of the care model. HealthCall empowers their extended care teams with a plethora of collaboration tools and empowers patients with timely communication to help stay healthier at home longer.

HealthCall is a patented, cloud-based care coordination and patient engagement platform that enables care professionals to more easily work together to deliver smarter care, reduce costs, and improve outcomes.

Features include an interactive dashboard that connects data and patients in real time; intuitive charting and assessments; a network of outcome-proven, customizable care programs; remote patient monitoring; care team networks to share information and monitor progress; integrated scheduling in one convenient place; a patient health record; robust report generator; and wellness screenings to prevent COVID-19 infection. 

From rural mountains to the largest cities, the most innovative, diverse, and successful programs run on HealthCall: community paramedicine, mobile integrated health, ET3, pandemic care, telehealth and virtual care, remote patient monitoring, chronic care management, transitional care, behavioral health, health screenings, resupply, and population health.

In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, how can health systems and care providers work together to improve patient outcomes and boost population health? The answer is HealthCall: a platform that empowers care professionals across health systems, payers, and EMS to collaborate and deliver truly patient-centric care. 

Medix: Proprietary Seating, Belts Through EVS Ltd

For 20 years Medix has been driven to help save lives as safely, effectively, and efficiently as possible through a constant shift in the design, development, and manufacturing of dependable, high-performance ambulances. This philosophy continues with the introduction of our new proprietary seating and Pro 4 belts. Both innovations are products of EVS Ltd, a longtime Medix partner. 

EVS has redesigned its traditional seating options, giving the Medix family a competitive edge in several important ways: 

• Increased bolstering improves overall seat comfort and safety in the event of side impacts;
• Added headrests improve overall safety in the event of accidents; 
• Exclusive styling features provide a unique and modern way to show the ambulance is a Medix vehicle.

The seats, when combined with the new Pro 4 belting system, deliver high levels of safety along with added comfort and mobility in a modern, easy-to-use design.

The EVS Ltd Pro 4 belts, available to all Medix customers, were an easy choice when safety, comfort, and ease of use were key design factors. They are constructed with a single-click buckle for quicker ingress/egress. Four belt retractors allow for worker mobility while providing a safe environment in all seating positions, and standard padding support provides optimal comfort and helps prevent buckle ride-up. Shoulder-spaced belt webbing grips the shoulders for added safety in accidents. Rigorous static and dynamic testing ensures the belting system meets and exceeds all FMVSS/SAE standards.

The Pro 4 belts are a safe belting option for side-seating positions in all Medix vehicles. They provide a nonlimiting harness that helps EMS workers remain safe while performing lifesaving care. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Medix Specialty Vehicles. For 20 years the Medix team has worked tirelessly to build upon and improve the manufacturing of quality, reliable, robust ambulances for our customers.

GHSP: Mobile UVC Disinfection Technology

For more than 100 years, GHSP has been a leading global supplier of mechanical and electromechanical systems to the automotive, transportation, and appliance industries. 

Originally established in 1924, we stamped metal components early in the 20th century when stamped metal was the best way to build things. By the end of the 20th century, we had become a leader in integrating mechanical, electronic, and software elements that delivered 21st-century solutions to enhance lives. 

GHSP has since expanded around the world with a mind-set of innovation at our core. Launched in 2020, GHSP’s newest brand, grenlite, brings mobile UVC disinfection technology to the mainstream. Automated, intelligent, and safe disinfection for ambulance transport and EMS applications utilizes programmable doses of UVC light that help keep EMS professionals and patients safer in the field. 

“Helping keep emergency service providers safer in the field was one of the primary goals of the development project.” says GHSP Chief Engineer Ian Sage. “Having a system that is continually monitoring its environment and operating automatically when safe provides an additional layer of workplace safety for EMS personnel that can’t be matched.” 

This patent-pending hybrid solution greatly reduces the transmission of infections at the source without the need for human interaction. The system uses an intelligent design of integrated smart sensors to detect when the vehicle is unoccupied, then safely and automatically emits a powerful UVC light that disinfects the interior surfaces and air. The grenlite solution is more than 99% effective in killing bacteria, fungi, and viruses. 

Each grenlite treatment dose is set to an optimal disinfection level to ensure the pathogens’ DNA is destroyed and unable to reproduce. After each surface interaction, sensors determine when it is safe and necessary to initiate another cleaning cycle, which operates with effective timing and lasts only minutes. The system is also available with a manual mode operators can trigger when needed, ideal for EMS units with high cycle times.

Intertek: Restraint and Securement Solutions

Crashes involving ambulances are the most probable cause of EMS fatalities. The fatality rate for EMS workers is more than twice the national average. Most serious injuries and more than 80% of fatal injuries occur in the rear of an ambulance to improperly restrained or unrestrained occupants.

As an industry partner to the ambulance manufacturing community, Intertek offers a complete range of occupant restraints and seat belt systems designed to keep EMTs and paramedics safe in the rear compartment of the ambulance. Our unique advanced restraint systems continue to be the most tested and respected products in the EMS industry, utilizing new technologies and designs to enhance vehicle safety while providing function and comfort for the vehicle's occupants to perform vital tasks.

Intertek continues to work with both ambulance providers and seating manufacturers to offer the most reliable and functional seat belt restraint products for the ultimate in safety and vehicle compliance. By doing so, the manufacturer can provide ambulances that comply with applicable seating system requirements, such as SAE 3026, using high-quality seat belt products compliant with FMVSS 209 as well as other industry standards.

Our products include multiple variations of advanced restraint systems including the innovative Protek six-point restraint system, the most widely accepted and tested product on the market. Intertek also offers more conventional seat belt products, securement restraints, and specialized cargo net designs, providing ambulance manufacturers with a comprehensive source for these critical safety products.

Ask your vehicle provider for additional details concerning our line of restraint and securement products to keep your ambulance crew as safe as possible. Intertek is a proud supplier to the EMS market, and we appreciate the opportunity to keep EMS personnel safe. 

MinXray: Digital Radiography in the Field

Closing the gap between initial emergency response and obtaining diagnostic images critical to fast and appropriate emergency care is possible with the Impact Wireless from MinXray. The complete battery-powered, portable digital radiography (DR) system provides superior diagnostic imaging capabilities for use by emergency medical responders in remote locations or in the field at trauma scenes. The battery-powered x-ray unit is certified to meet Food and Drug Administration requirements for full-body imaging and provides x-ray capabilities anytime, anywhere—regardless of location or available power.

The portable capability of an onboard Impact system gives ambulance crews the ability to answer questions and consult with doctors to develop diagnoses in real time. With hotspot access, emergency medical responders can use the Impact system to send diagnostic images to off-site radiologists for immediate review. Adding x-ray capabilities to ambulances adds an extra layer of care and support during long-distance transports. Patients can be stabilized more easily and are prepared for better outcomes due to the real-time information provided to the medical team ahead of their arrival.

“MinXray identified the need for faster accessibility to radiographic imaging in the emergency medical services marketplace,” says Jeanne Walter, vice president of marketing and sales at MinXray. “We have spoken with medical personnel who see the value of the Impact system for imaging prior to patient transport, which expedites delivery of care—especially in remote areas that have long transport times and where imaging and treatment facilities may not be housed under one roof."

The Impact system is ultralight and portable. It can be used as a handheld system or mounted on a tripod or portable stand that can be easily wheeled to an injured patient. MinXray’s Impact DR system includes a 14x17-inch wireless Csl digital detector in carbon-fiber housing, TR90BH portable battery-powered x-ray unit, laptop or tablet with DICOM 3.0-compliant imaging software, and customizable transport casing.

Bioquell: Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor Decontamination

Bioquell, an Ecolab solution, is a global leader in biodecontamination systems and services specializing in the design, manufacture, and application of hydrogen peroxide vapor decontamination. We focus on helping you protect patients and staff by decontaminating exposed surfaces.

In under an hour Bioquell offers a solution for EMS professionals to attain a six-log sporicidal kill on exposed surfaces within vehicles using an automated decontamination process with the Bioquell BQ-EMS. Bioquell hydrogen peroxide sterilant can eliminate spores, bacteria, viruses, and fungi in sealed areas.

The Bioquell BQ-EMS is a portable, lightweight, and powerful system specifically developed for use in emergency response vehicles. Compatibility studies have shown the process to be suitable for sensitive electronics, and the system allows you to reclaim vehicles immediately after a decontamination cycle is complete. With the area left residue-free, no wipedowns are required after the cycle.

The system is composed of one hydrogen peroxide vaporizer to disperse the Bioquell hydrogen peroxide sterilant onto every exposed surface within the vehicle. This is accompanied by two high-powered aeration units that enable the hydrogen peroxide to be rapidly removed in the final stages of the decontamination cycle.

A user-friendly three-button control panel comes with the system and is kept in a rugged case that allows it to be easily transported from vehicle to vehicle or site to site. Each Bioquell BQ-EMS system also includes a handheld low-level hydrogen peroxide sensor used to confirm the vapor is contained within the vehicle while the cycle takes place and that the vehicle can be entered once the cycle is complete.

Not only can the Bioquell BQ-EMS be used in your vehicles, it can also be used to decontaminate other areas as well: small equipment closets, offices, common areas, and more. Contact Bioquell to learn more about the exact size capacity and requirements to ensure a proper decontamination.

Wheeled Coach: Trusted by the Toughest

With a legacy and passion to deliver mission-critical durability, Wheeled Coach ambulances are born to perform under the most demanding conditions—and built to be as unbreakable as the spirit of those we serve. Here are some of the key features and processes designed to protect crews and patients.

Cool-Bar—This patented Wheeled Coach first provides 30% greater condensing capability as well as 30% greater BTU capacity for the patient compartment air conditioning system and 50% greater air flow. Cool-Bar enables multiple warning light options for maximum flexibility.

ToughCoat paint process—Our nine-step process employs precision application standards centered around a revolutionary high-tech primer with adhesion and anticorrosive properties.

Per4Max four-point safety belts—Belts with specialized webbing and controlled deceleration technology are standard on all seating positions in the patient compartment.

TrueForm wall construction—Our tough, straight wall construction provides durable, precision-made walls with our StraightLine laser-guided fixture alignment to create accurate and square repeatable frames that fit every time, whether on new bodies or replacements.

AntiCor protection system—Layers of anticorrosion features, like our one-piece aluminum skins, DuraSeam door system, engineered prepaint prepunched holes, SermaGard ceramic-coated bolts, nine-step ToughCoat paint process, and more together stand up stronger to the most demanding conditions.

Safeguard box frame—Engineered along the top and corners of the box is a highly reinforced but extremely light roll cage structure. Along with strategically positioned metal bars and our TrueForm wall construction, the innovative Safeguard box frame is nearly indestructible. 

A network of support—Our dedicated network of independent Wheeled Coach dealers has the expertise, innovation, support, drive, and passion to deliver the exact emergency vehicle you need to protect those you serve. 

EP+R AmbuStat: Volumetric Air and Surface Decontamination

With the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen and the subsequent COVID-19 outbreak quickly transitioning into a global pandemic, EP+R responded rapidly to meet the anticipated demands of containing this highly infectious disease. Through a fast-track collaboration with NASA, we were able to develop and validate our new volumetric decontamination system, the AMBUstat dry fogging system.

Our joint research with NASA engineers has found surface decontamination is not effective at killing airborne pathogens, leading us to focus on developing a highly effective volumetric system that is lightweight, portable, easy to use, and ecofriendly.

The resulting AMBUstat dry fogger is a volumetric decontamination system that eliminates in excess of 99.9999% of  invisible pathogens such as MRSA and COVID-19 both in the air and on surfaces, providing a level of disinfection comparable to a clean room.

The system weighs less than 15 lbs. and can be safely deployed in under 15 minutes by operators with minimal training. After a dwell period of 20 minutes, you can remove the system and decontaminate the next space.

Our proprietary Actril cold sterilant solution breaks down into a natural, nontoxic water vapor and is safe for use with sensitive electronics commonly found in transport vehicles, such as computers and medical devices. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine says of AMBUstat, “Think of it as an atomized sterilant that touches every surface and guarantees there are no germs.”

We have the lowest known cost per treatment in the industry, increasing the affordability of mass adoption and allowing for greater frequency of disinfection cycles, especially for underserved communities that can’t invest significant money on new technologies.

“We’ve been using AMBUstat in ambulances for a while,” says EP+R CEO Jim Doherty. “Now we want to take it and sterilize entire rooms so schools and businesses can reopen safely.”