American Emergency Vehicles built this Type 1 Traumahawk ambulance for Collinsville (IL) Fire Department on a Ford F-550 4×4 chassis with a 176-inch long body. (Photos courtesy of American Emergency Vehicles unless noted.)
By Alan M. Petrillo
Collinsville (IL) Fire Department has taken delivery of an American Emergency Vehicles (AEV) Type 1 Traumahawk ambulance that brings its ambulance fleet to four rigs – all of them AEV units.
John Bailot, Collinsville’s chief, say the department covers the city of Collinsville and the Collinsville Fire Protection District for fire protection and EMS with 36 firefighter/paramedics, running two primary ambulances, one from each of Collinsville’s two stations, as well as staffing a third rig as needed. Collinsville responds to approximately 4,000 calls a year, with 77% of them being EMS calls.
The Traumahawk Type 1 is powered by a 6.7-liter diesel engine, and has an 18,000-pound GVWR.
Bailot says that Collinsville’s truck committee made a number of changes to the new rig when compared to its previous ambulance. “We moved to a Type 1 truck chassis from a Type 3 van chassis,” he says, “got a two-inch longer, wider and higher box, went with a door forward design, and redesigned the interior.”
The new rig for Collinsville uses the door-forward design on the curb side of the patient module.
Randy Barr, director of sales for AEV, say the rig it built for Collinsville is the XA series Traumahawk on a Ford F-550 4×4 chassis and cab with a 176-inch long, 96-inch wide body with 74 inches of headroom, and a 6-inch body drop on both sides. He notes that the rig is powered by a 6.7-liter diesel engine, has a liquid spring rear suspension, carries an 18,000-pound GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating), has power door locks and a keyless entry system.
Lighting on the AEV Collinsville rig includes Whelen LED warning lighting and Whelen LED scene lights.
“The Traumahawk has additional insulation in the body walls and floors to provide sound deadening,” Barr says, “a rollout tray in the stair chair compartment, and SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus) mounts in two compartments. The interior of the box has ducted HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) in the ceiling, a digital thermostat, a Ferno Products INTRAXX rail, aluminum cabinets, restocking windows in the cabinets, solid surface counter tops, USB outlets, auto shade door windows, two recessed overhead grab rails, and a child safety seat built into the attendant’s seat. All seating positions are protected by Per4Max four-point seat harnesses.”
A Collinsville firefighter/paramedic restocks a cabinet in the new Traumahawk. (Photo courtesy of Collinsville Fire Department.)
Barr adds that the AEV rig carries a backup camera, as well as a patient compartment camera so the driver can view what’s happening in the back of the rig, a Class 1 LX1 multiplex electrical system, a Vanner LifeSine 1100 inverter, a 20-amp auto eject shore line, and a Firecom wireless intercom with three headsets.
Firefighter turnout gear and SCBAs (self contained breathing apparatus) are kept in exterior compartments on each side of the rig. (Photo courtesy of Collinsville Fire Department.)
Lighting on the AEV Type 1 Traumahawk ambulance includes Whelen LED warning lighting, Whelen LED scene lighting, Daybright cabinet lights in the patient box, LED rope lighting in all compartments, and LED skirt rail lighting and ground lighting.
ALAN M. PETRILLO is a Tucson, Ariz.-based journalist, the author of three novels and five non-fiction books, and a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment editorial advisory board. He served 22 years with Verdoy (NY) Fire Department, including the position of chief.
