New SeniorCare EMS NYC Ambulance

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lotsofbars

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Jul 20, 2010
1,999
NYC, New York
So we just got like 8 of these at my company and I actually really really like them. Yeah the whole "they're super narrow and tall" is a little annoying but the rest of the truck is really solid. Everything from the super-sync'd lights to the layout and all the features of the truck are super revised from the previous generation of Ford vanbulances. Mega props to Demers for making a solid type II truck.
 
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firebuff17

Member
Mar 28, 2011
774
CT
I wish you good luck with them.
The company I used to work for bought out another ambulance company and Demers were all that the new company owned. They were big POS in my opinion. They were not very user friendly. One very annoying thing that Demers is known for is the not bypassing the OEM horn when using the siren. You would get OEM horn every time you changed siren tone with the horn.
The company very quickly got rid of those for new AEV ambulances.
A few years later they bought one the same style as the one you posted. I think it was a freight liner. Had the same issues as the old ones they got rid of. That one lasted only a few years before gettting rid of that one also. The company is in CT. So roads and weather are pretty similar to NY

I really do wish you the best with them. Just wanted to give my opinion of working one several Demers
 

pdk9

Member
May 26, 2010
3,834
New York & Florida
I really love the front flash pattern of all red alternating with all white. I've always been impressed that Seniorcare had pretty good LED setups on all their rigs with freedoms and 900s (not the cheap, basic halogen KKK spec). I'm honestly not a fan of any of the vanbulances b/c of the lack of room and the narrow/tall body, but would've stuck with the E-series if I had to.

Based on the name, did seniorcare start out as a company that only did IFTs for geriatrics between hospitals and nursing homes?
 
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whatevah

Member
May 26, 2010
388
Delaware, USA
I've never had to ride in one of the Sprinter ambulances, but everybody I've talked to despises the front seats. Very uncomfortable and akward to sit in, even worse if you're wearing soft armor. The narrow rear compartment isn't too bad if you use the space wisely, like using the new wall-track system from Ferno (also used in new helicopters).

The white lights *might* be from a park-override switch. A lot of ambulances have those so you can do a full pre-shift inspection.
 

whatevah

Member
May 26, 2010
388
Delaware, USA
Yeah...that's a Ford Transit...not a Dodge/Mercedes/Freightliner Sprinter in the video/being discussed.
heh, thought they were just another rebadge... thanks for the info.
 

lotsofbars

Member
Jul 20, 2010
1,999
NYC, New York
No white front park-kill?
If its anything like our demers on the road, there is a separate switch for the white "wig wag" to the front (doesn't come on with primary or secondary at all).
Mostly correct. The front white wig-wags are on a different switch from the primary/secondary lights, but there are individual primary/secondary light switch positions.

I'm not sure about the park/kill feature honestly because, even though the truck has the idle antitheft feature, I'm not sure if it's tied into the lights. I do know that the siren horn doesn't activate the regular horn along with it when activating or changing tones with the horn ring.
 

lotsofbars

Member
Jul 20, 2010
1,999
NYC, New York
I really love the front flash pattern of all red alternating with all white. I've always been impressed that Seniorcare had pretty good LED setups on all their rigs with freedoms and 900s (not the cheap, basic halogen KKK spec). I'm honestly not a fan of any of the vanbulances b/c of the lack of room and the narrow/tall body, but would've stuck with the E-series if I had to.

Based on the name, did seniorcare start out as a company that only did IFTs for geriatrics between hospitals and nursing homes?
I'm a big fan of it as well. All the new Wheeled Coach Type III trucks we have are split head random messes, so this is a nice change from that. The previous generation of E-Series vanbulance were all surprisingly well-outfitted too.

And yes, apparently it was originally just for geriatric transport, but the company blew up and they still haven't managed to change the name yet.
 

unlisted

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May 20, 2010
7,333
NA
Our factory horn "beeps" when we are using the HF horn ring feature.

Same here, primary/secondary is on the same 3 position toggle switch (on/off/on), wig wag on a separate with no park kill feature. If we leave the anti-theft / anti-idle on, whatever lights we leave active will stay active until the switch is turned off, or until the vehicle is completely turned off and the power tamer auto shuts down the lights.
 

Wailer

Member
May 24, 2010
2,290
Canada
The Transit van looks okay with a high roof, but the regular passenger version has a tapered back roofline that makes it look too wedgey.
 

lotsofbars

Member
Jul 20, 2010
1,999
NYC, New York
OP, where does Seniorcare have 911 contracts?
Bronx: St. Barnabas Hospital
Manhattan: Beth Israel Hospital
Brooklyn: Brooklyn Hospital
Kingsbrook Jewish Hospital
Interfaith Hospital
All hospitals have brand new type 3 busses except for KBJ and Interfaith.
 

lotsofbars

Member
Jul 20, 2010
1,999
NYC, New York
I wish you good luck with them.
The company I used to work for bought out another ambulance company and Demers were all that the new company owned. They were big POS in my opinion. They were not very user friendly. One very annoying thing that Demers is known for is the not bypassing the OEM horn when using the siren. You would get OEM horn every time you changed siren tone with the horn.
I stand corrected with the horn issue. I don't know why any ambulance manufacturer would decide to keep the OEM horn active, but it's the most obnoxious thing in the universe while responding, because I prefer to exclusively use the horn ring for the siren.

I rode my first shift in this truck yesterday and, while I mostly love it (it's very user friendly in the back, I kept discovering some really good features), there are some glaring design flaws that need to be addressed and fixed.

The main problem I noticed from this truck is that there is no way to lock/unlock the rear doors from outside. And inside, you can pull up the lock to open it, but there is no lock/unlock button in the back. In order to open the rear doors, someone has to go to the front and turn on the truck, because the unlock buttons also do not work at all once the truck is shut off.

Also, both front turn signals activate as hazards in both (left signal/right signal) turn signal positions. Not quite sure how that happened, but that put the truck out of service until our barely-competent mechanics can figure out how to fix it.
 

unlisted

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
7,333
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The main problem I noticed from this truck is that there is no way to lock/unlock the rear doors from outside. And inside, you can pull up the lock to open it, but there is no lock/unlock button in the back. In order to open the rear doors, someone has to go to the front and turn on the truck, because the unlock buttons also do not work at all once the truck is shut off.

Also, both front turn signals activate as hazards in both (left signal/right signal) turn signal positions. Not quite sure how that happened, but that put the truck out of service until our barely-competent mechanics can figure out how to fix it.

Check the inside wall beside the passenger side rear door- some of our newer ambulances have a door lock/unlock button there. They used to mount the switch on the inside of the door but found closing the door would activate the switch from the slam... so they moved them there. There should also be another door switch on the inside wall near the side door.

Also, we have the key fob- that is how we normally lock/unlock the doors.

Turn signal issue sounds like a programming error- so does the lock/unlock buttons not functioning.. if it is all your new units I'd suggest getting your fleet guys/girls to contact the manufacturer or upfitter to come and reprogram them all. Its all crazy multi-plexed systems these days so.. Even our in house mechanics don't bugger around with the electrical/upfitted part(s) of the trucks.
 
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lotsofbars

Member
Jul 20, 2010
1,999
NYC, New York
I wrote a lengthy complaint for my supervisors but it's, unfortunately, out of my hands due to the size of the company. If I do get the same truck and none of the problems have been corrected, I'll just put it out of service and take an older truck. I will bring it up to the bigger boss at the beginning of my next shift and see what can be done, though.
 

StEaLtH2

Member
Mar 3, 2011
2,159
New England
That's a bummer with issues with a new piece, can't even enjoy the lowest miles as it's driven oos back for service and beached.
For another perspective on the horn ring, not having a city horn while the siren is not active is grounds for inspection failure, whether it's the vehicle or ambo license cert or recert.
A properly installed siren would provide the "no city horn" while siren is active. To me, the installer failed to properly address this before delivery.
Mind you some locales could care if the horn functions at all as long as the siren functions.
My personal config would be the siren's air horn sounds from horn ring regardless of siren activated, but once HF is enabled, proper HF control prevails.

Lotso, any stills in daylight of the newest piece?

End upfitter/manufacturer rant...lol
way sleep deprived vs caffeine saturation
 

billyfromhill

Member
Nov 30, 2014
143
Western New York
That's a bummer with issues with a new piece, can't even enjoy the lowest miles as it's driven oos back for service and beached.
For another perspective on the horn ring, not having a city horn while the siren is not active is grounds for inspection failure, whether it's the vehicle or ambo license cert or recert.
A properly installed siren would provide the "no city horn" while siren is active. To me, the installer failed to properly address this before delivery.
Mind you some locales could care if the horn functions at all as long as the siren functions.
My personal config would be the siren's air horn sounds from horn ring regardless of siren activated, but once HF is enabled, proper HF control prevails.

Lotso, any stills in daylight of the newest piece?

End upfitter/manufacturer rant...lol
way sleep deprived vs caffeine saturation

Usually there's a siren/horn button that controls a SPDT relay to transfer the horn ring between the city horn and the siren horn ring connection while the vehicle is on. When the vehicle turns off, the city horn is active like it comes from the factory. When the vehicle is running you can choose between the city horn or siren control.
 

firebuff17

Member
Mar 28, 2011
774
CT
Lotsofbars:
It's been 10 years maybe since I have rode in a Demers ambulance. I honsetly can't remember them all. The siren/horn stuck in my head because it annoyed the crap out of me.
When I was working on the ambulance we were using AEVs. Maybe it was that I was so used to the AEV that I resisted and disliked the Demers.
 

lotsofbars

Member
Jul 20, 2010
1,999
NYC, New York
We mainly use AEV's as well, but I still like the new generation's design. There are a lot of things both up front and in back that are just so much better than previous designs.
 
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I saw one of these at maimo the other day. My company has a few of these built by AEV and I find them very user friendly. I always preferred AEV to other type 2 buses, especially demers. I dont like how the radio is mounted close to the floor and the siren/light switch panel is on the dash. I don't know if its related but ive had a lot of issues with the heat on those in the winter. Additionally I hate the horn not being bypassed. On a side note I am not a fan of the new senior care look
 
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