SECAmb, which serves Kent, Surrey and Sussex, has long-standing links with the manufacturer– its 300 A&E ambulances are based on 5.0-tonne Sprinter chassis cabs while it also assigns Mercedes-Benz vehicles to other tasks such as non-emergency patient transport and logistical support.
Over the final quarter of 2014 Dealer Rossetts Commercials supplied SECAmb with 30 Euro 6-engined Sprinter 519 CDIs with automatic transmissions and Wilker box bodies, ordered through its annual front-line fleet replacement programme.
Rossetts has now delivered a number of additional vehicles, which have been commissioned by the Trust’s fleet operations and driving standards departments for new roles.
These include:
- Four critical care ambulances based on the same chassis and body combination as the standard accident and emergency units, but with additional equipment for treating the most seriously ill patients;
- Thirty-seven 2.8-tonne Vito 116 CDI Dualiners with second rows of seats and purpose-built interiors allowing patients to be treated for minor wounds and injuries rather than being taken to hospital, which are being allocated to specialist paramedic practitioners as a more practical and efficient alternative to a conventional fast response car;
- Five 4.0-tonne Sprinter 419 CDI vans now operating as SECAmb’s first dedicated Driver Training Units, which have been specially converted and fitted with an array of cameras and high-tech telematics equipment to complement and increase the learning experience;
- Three Logistics Support Units also based on Sprinter 419 CDI vans and used to transport medical equipment and pharmaceutical supplies between hospitals and other establishments, and
- 14 Compact 109 CDI models from the Citan small van range, which SECAmb is trialling for the first time with a view to using for logistics support and, possibly, providing to community-based ‘first responders’.
‘We have switched from a “one size fits all” vehicle strategy, to an approach which recognises that the fleet should reflect the changing clinical requirements of our patients and the specialisms within our workforce,’ commented Justin Wand, SECAmb’s head of fleet operations.
‘However, while acknowledging the need for vehicles of different sizes and specification, we also wanted to standardise on a consistent, reliable platform. Mercedes-Benz was the obvious partner, not least because in the Sprinter, Vito and Citan its range includes a model which is right for every application.'