Mississippi Department Of Health Prepares For Potential Hurricane Season Evacuations With The AmbuBus

Main Category: Aid / Disasters
Article Date: 08 Jul 2009 - 7:00 PDT

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With the 2009 hurricane season underway, Mississippi has joined other states in FEMA Region IV by deploying the AmbuBus from First Line Technology in a statewide effort to enhance special needs evacuation capabilities. Delivery of the initial 14 AmbuBus kits, purchased through grant funds, were delivered to 6 different locations around the state. A joint training session was conducted between the school districts and the Department of Health to prepare for summertime severe weather.

Deploying the AmbuBus capability around the state allows for existing transport assets to be modified by the school district and utilized by the Department of Health for evacuation. When needed, the AmbuBus can quickly convert school and transit buses into non-ambulatory (stretcher) transport vehicles for the special needs population. The AmbuBus now enables the Department of Health to safely and efficiently evacuate hospitals, medical facilities, and nursing homes from the path of hurricanes. Once evacuation is complete, the retrofitted vehicles can be converted back into their normal use capability and the AmbuBus kit can be warehoused for future use.

"Disaster prone states are realizing that there is not enough ambulance capacity to safely evacuate hospitals, nursing facilities, and special needs patients," said Amit Kapoor, First Line's President. "The AmbuBus enhances statewide evacuation plans by quickly creating a mass transport fleet for special needs patients. By using existing assets like school buses and other vehicles of opportunity, states are able operate a mass transport capability without the expensive costs of maintaining a fleet of ambulances."

The AmbuBus has been deployed state-wide in Georgia and Alabama and with numerous localities such as Hampton Roads, VA. Other states and localities have placed their orders with deliveries throughout the 2009 hurricane season.

Source
First Line Technology