ASTM F2020-01
(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
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 and applicable amendments (if any) in effect on the date of manufacture (see 7.3). Ambulance vehicles so certified may display the registered "Star of Life" symbol, as defined by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), see Fig 1.
1.3 Classification— "Star of Life" ambulance designs included in this standard may be described in terms of their body type (I, II, or III), class of drive ("1" for two rear wheel drive or "2" for four wheel drive), and floor configuration (A for Advanced Life Support or B for Basic Life Support). Such descriptions may be used to define a variety of ambulance designs which are eligible for certification as "Star of Life" ambulances. (To specify, see 9.2.2 and 9.2.3).
Note 1—For optional advanced life support (ALS) applications, users should consider specifying a modular (Type I or III) ambulance. Modular ambulances provide additional space and compartmentation for cardiac monitors, drug cases, and so forth. The basic ...
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Designation: F 2020 – 01
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 them, while continuing such life support care, to an appropriate
medical facility for definitive care.
1.1 This practice covers certified, tested, commercial type,
1.1.3.2 Providing interhospital critical transport care.
EMSS ambulances built on chassis that are suitable for the
1.1.3.3 Transporting essential personnel and equipment to
intended application and meet the requirements herein. The
and from the site of a multiple medical emergency or a triage
ambulances are front or rear wheel driven (4x2) or four wheel
site and transporting appropriately triaged patients to desig-
driven (4x4) and warranted as specified in Section 9.
nated medical facilities.
1.1.1 Definition of Ambulance—An ambulance is a vehicle
1.1.3.4 Other functions deemed appropriate by EMSS am-
for emergency medical care which provides: a driver’s com-
bulance service managers and approved by designated EMSS
partment; a patient compartment to accommodate an emer-
medical directors.
gency medical technician (EMT)/paramedic and two litter
1.2 “Star of Life” Certification—Ambulance manufacturer/
patients (one patient located on the primary cot and a second-
contractor shall furnish the purchaser(s) citing this practice an
ary patient on a folding litter located on the squad bench) so
authenticated certification and label (see 6.19) that certifies a
positioned that the primary patient can be given intensive
“Star of Life” ambulance and equipment complying with this
life-support during transit; equipment and supplies for emer-
practice and applicable amendments (if any) in effect on the
gency care at the scene as well as during transport; two-way
date of manufacture (see 7.3). Ambulance vehicles so certified
radio communication; and, when necessary, equipment for
may display the registered “Star of Life” symbol, as defined by
light rescue/extrication procedures. The ambulance shall be
the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the National
designed and constructed to afford safety, comfort, and avoid
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), see Fig. 1.
aggravation of the patient’s injury or illness.
1.3 Classification—“Star of Life” ambulance designs in-
1.1.2 This practice may be used to procure an ambulance
cluded in this practice may be described in terms of their body
and the applicable additional systems and equipment.
type (I, II, or III), class of drive (“1” for two rear wheel drive
1.1.3 Purchasers should follow the ordering data in 9.2 to
or “2” for four wheel drive), and floor configuration (A for
aid them with the preparation of their procurement specifica-
Advanced Life Support or B for Basic Life Support). Such
tion, requisition, and contract. The purpose of this practice is to
descriptions may be used to define a variety of ambulance
describe minimum requirements for design, construction, per-
designs which are eligible for certification as “Star of Life”
formance, equipment, testing, and appearance of EMSS ambu-
ambulances. (To specify, see 9.2.2 and 9.2.3).
lances that are authorized to display the “Star of Life” symbol
so as to provide a practical degree of standardization. The
NOTE 1—For optional advanced life support (ALS) applications, users
reasons for such standardization are to provide ambulances that should consider specifying a modular (Type I or III) ambulance. Modular
ambulances provide additional space and compartmentation for cardiac
are easily detected, nationally recognizable, properly con-
monitors, drug cases, and so forth. The basic life support (BLS) configu-
structed, easily maintained, and, when appropriately equipped,
ration is standard on all types.
will enable Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) to safely
1.3.1 Type I—Conventional truck, cab-chassis with modular
and reliably perform their functions as basic and advanced
prehospital life support providers as set forth in national EMSS ambulance body (see Fig. 2).
standard training guidelines. These functions include: Class Configuration
1.1.3.1 Responding to, providing appropriate basic or ad-
Two rear wheel driven (4x2) A or B
vanced life support, on-site, to persons reported experiencing
Four wheel driven (4x4) A or B
acute injury or illness in a pre-hospital setting, and transporting
Configuration A: Elevating cot and squad bench for ALS (see 6.1.5.1
1
This practice is under the jurisdicti
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