ASTM F2020-02a
(Practice)Standard Practice for Design, Construction, and Procurement of Emergency Medical Services Systems (EMSS) Ambulances
Standard Practice for Design, Construction, and Procurement of Emergency Medical Services Systems (EMSS) Ambulances
ABSTRACT
This practice covers certified, tested, commercial type, EMSS ambulances built on chassis that are suitable for the intended application and meet the requirements herein, it also covers the design, construction, and procurement of emergency medical services systems ambulances. Types: type I-conventional truck, cab-chassis with modular ambulance body, type I-AD (additional duty-with increased GVWR, storage, and payload capacity)-A or B or neonatal, critical patient transport, or A or B with rescue and fire suppression package, type II-standard van, integral cab-body ambulance, type III-cutaway van, cab-chassis with integral or containerized modular body ambulance, and type III-AD (additional duty-with increased GVWR, storage, and payload capacity) A or B or neonatal, critical patient transport, or A or B with rescue, or fire suppression package, or both. Performance test, vehicle weight test, road test, water spray test, and oxygen system test shall be performed to meet the requirements prescribed.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice covers certified, tested, commercial type, EMSS ambulances built on chassis that are suitable for the intended application and meet the requirements herein. The ambulances are front or rear wheel driven (4x2) or four wheel driven (4x4) and warranted as specified in Section 9.
1.1.1 Definition of Ambulance—An ambulance is a vehicle for emergency medical care which provides: a driver's compartment; a patient compartment to accommodate an emergency medical technician (EMT)/paramedic and two litter patients (one patient located on the primary cot and a secondary patient on a folding litter located on the squad bench) so positioned that the primary patient can be given intensive life-support during transit; equipment and supplies for emergency care at the scene as well as during transport; two-way radio communication; and, when necessary, equipment for light rescue/extrication procedures. The ambulance shall be designed and constructed to afford safety, comfort, and avoid aggravation of the patient's injury or illness.
1.1.2 This standard may be used to procure an ambulance and the applicable additional systems and equipment.
1.1.3 Purchasers should follow the ordering data in 9.2 to aid them with the preparation of their procurement specification, requisition, and contract. The purpose of this practice is to describe minimum requirements for design, construction, performance, equipment, testing, and appearance of EMSS ambulances which are authorized to display the "Star of Life" symbol so as to provide a practical degree of standardization. The reasons for such standardization are to provide ambulances that are easily detected, nationally recognizable, properly constructed, easily maintained, and, when appropriately equipped, will enable Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) to safely and reliably perform their functions as basic and advanced pre-hospital life support providers as set forth in national EMSS standard training guidelines. These functions include:
1.1.3.1 Responding to, providing appropriate basic or advanced life support, on-site, to persons reported experiencing acute injury or illness in a pre-hospital setting, and transporting them, while continuing such life support care, to an appropriate medical facility for definitive care.
1.1.3.2 Providing interhospital critical transport care.
1.1.3.3 Transporting essential personnel and equipment to and from the site of a multiple medical emergency or a triage site and transporting appropriately triaged patients to designated medical facilities.
1.1.3.4 Other functions deemed appropriate by EMSS ambulance service managers and approved by designated EMSS medical directors.
1.2 "Star of Life" Certification—Ambulance manufacturer/contractor shall furnish the purchaser(s) citing this standard an authenticated certification and label (see 6.19) that certifies a "Star of Life" ambulance and equipment complying with this standard a...
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Standards Content (Sample)
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Designation: F 2020 – 02a
Standard Practice for
Design, Construction, and Procurement of Emergency
1
Medical Services Systems (EMSS) Ambulances
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F 2020; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 1.1.3.1 Responding to, providing appropriate basic or ad-
vanced life support, on-site, to persons reported experiencing
1.1 This practice covers certified, tested, commercial type,
acuteinjuryorillnessinapre-hospitalsetting,andtransporting
EMSS ambulances built on chassis that are suitable for the
them,whilecontinuingsuchlifesupportcare,toanappropriate
intended application and meet the requirements herein. The
medical facility for definitive care.
ambulances are front or rear wheel driven (4x2) or four wheel
1.1.3.2 Providing interhospital critical transport care.
driven (4x4) and warranted as specified in Section 9.
1.1.3.3 Transporting essential personnel and equipment to
1.1.1 Definition of Ambulance—An ambulance is a vehicle
and from the site of a multiple medical emergency or a triage
for emergency medical care which provides: a driver’s com-
site and transporting appropriately triaged patients to desig-
partment; a patient compartment to accommodate an emer-
nated medical facilities.
gency medical technician (EMT)/paramedic and two litter
1.1.3.4 Other functions deemed appropriate by EMSS am-
patients (one patient located on the primary cot and a second-
bulance service managers and approved by designated EMSS
ary patient on a folding litter located on the squad bench) so
medical directors.
positioned that the primary patient can be given intensive
1.2 “Star of Life” Certification—Ambulance manufacturer/
life-support during transit; equipment and supplies for emer-
contractor shall furnish the purchaser(s) citing this practice an
gency care at the scene as well as during transport; two-way
authenticated certification and label (see 6.19) that certifies a
radio communication; and, when necessary, equipment for
“Star of Life” ambulance and equipment complying with this
light rescue/extrication procedures. The ambulance shall be
practice and applicable amendments (if any) in effect on the
designed and constructed to afford safety, comfort, and avoid
date of manufacture (see 7.3).Ambulance vehicles so certified
aggravation of the patient’s injury or illness.
may display the registered “Star of Life” symbol, as defined by
1.1.2 This practice may be used to procure an ambulance
the U.S. Department ofTransportation (DOT) and the National
and the applicable additional systems and equipment.
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), see Fig. 1.
1.1.3 Purchasers should follow the ordering data in 9.2 to
1.3 Classification—“Star of Life” ambulance designs in-
aid them with the preparation of their procurement specifica-
cluded in this practice may be described in terms of their body
tion,requisition,andcontract.Thepurposeofthispracticeisto
type (I, II, or III), class of drive (“1” for two rear wheel drive
describe minimum requirements for design, construction, per-
or “2” for four wheel drive), and floor configuration (A for
formance, equipment, testing, and appearance of EMSS ambu-
Advanced Life Support or B for Basic Life Support). Such
lances that are authorized to display the “Star of Life” symbol
descriptions may be used to define a variety of ambulance
so as to provide a practical degree of standardization. The
designs which are eligible for certification as “Star of Life”
reasonsforsuchstandardizationaretoprovideambulancesthat
ambulances. (To specify, see 9.2.2 and 9.2.3).
are easily detected, nationally recognizable, properly con-
structed, easily maintained, and, when appropriately equipped,
NOTE 1—For optional advanced life support (ALS) applications, users
will enable Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) to safely should consider specifying a modular (Type I or III) ambulance. Modular
ambulances provide additional space and compartmentation for cardiac
and reliably perform their functions as basic and advanced
monitors, drug cases, and so forth. The basic life support (BLS) configu-
prehospitallifesupportprovidersassetforthinnationalEMSS
ration is standard on all types.
standard training guidelines. These functions include:
1.3.1 Type I—Conventionaltruck,cab-chassiswithmodular
ambulance body (see Fig. 2).
Class Configuration
1
This practice is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee F30 on Emergency
Medical Services and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F30.01 on EMS
Two rear wheel driven (4x2) A or B
Equipment.
Four wheel driven (4x4)
...
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