Automotive medicine and EMS: The bird and the rhinoceros

Federal EMS legislation mandates that all emergency medical vehicles conform to minimum in design and available equipment. Each state has been charged with the tasks of categorizing vehicles currently in use, setting appropriate within federal guidelines, and enforcing modification of vehicles and ultimate compliance. It is imperative that the AAAM become actively involved in this vehicle determination process and not simply critique and comment on what may be experienced of inadequate efforts in the states. The study demonstrates that such rules, regulations and may not, in fact, truly speak to vehicle performance criteria -- indeed, that vehicles which conform to standard may be found lacking in actual functional situations. Finally, we conclude that the AAAM should further analyze and rate EMS vehicle performance by type of vehicles, manufacturer, appropriate utilization, equipment location, etc., towards assuring that standards are in reality written minimum performance criteria.