Skidmore College EMS - 2014 Ford Escape

[firedude]

Newly organized Skidmore College EMS is a BLSFR agency protecting Skidmore College (Saratoga Springs, NY).

From their website:

Skidmore College Emergency Medical Services (SCEMS) is a New York State Basic Life Support-First Response Agency, which provides high quality and confidential emergency medical care to the Skidmore community. SCEMS is staffed and operated entirely by Skidmore students, who are trained and state certified at the EMT level or higher. SCEMS provides emergency coverage between 4:30pm and 8:30am on weekdays, and 24-hour coverage from 4:30pm on Friday until 8:30am on Monday. SCEMS is also available for standby coverage for special events.

2014 Ford Escape

Front:

Code 3 2100 21TR (Amber, TA, Takedowns, Alley)

Signal DLXT Thinline LED (Amber)

Rear:

2 Whelen Vertex (Red)

Inside:

Whelen Siren

Galls Switchbox

Motorola Radio

County Designation: Car 4747

Agency Designation: EMS-1

































[Broken External Image]:https://ycpi-farm8.staticflickr.com/7330/12524347723_f4722a5053_z.jpg

 

[firedude]

Yes, Amber lights on a flycar. The agency doesn't do mutual aid, SCEMS is more of an EMS "brigade". Red/Blue lights are in the plans for the near future. Also plans for a push bumper to protect the siren.

Thanks to SCEMS for being granted access to this vehicle.

 

[unlisted]

If not for the markings on the vehicle I'd assume it was REACT- Amber lights and a siren. :dielaugh: :suicide:

 

[pdk9]

I too was confused with amber and a siren...are they allowed to drive code 3 on campus, or is it just for airhorn use? Personally, I think they should hold off on the siren til they get red/blue lights b/c I don't think many ppl would yield for amber lights.


The interior looks like a disaster; a remote/handheld siren controller could've eliminated 2/3 of that clutter & a remote head for the radio on the dash could've helped even further (while i'm guessing that the radio is being recycled from another Skidmore Public Safety/PD unit, I think the cost of a new remote head would be worth having the extra space for the person sitting shotgun, and not having to spend $ on the console/laptop mount for hanging all that equipment on)


Siren is mounted in an interesting way.


Btw, the title's wrong buddy... I don't see an edge ;-)

 

[firedude]

I too was confused with amber and a siren...are they allowed to drive code 3 on campus, or is it just for airhorn use? Personally, I think they should hold off on the siren til they get red/blue lights b/c I don't think many ppl would yield for amber lights.

The interior looks like a disaster; a remote/handheld siren controller could've eliminated 2/3 of that clutter & a remote head for the radio on the dash could've helped even further (while i'm guessing that the radio is being recycled from another Skidmore Public Safety/PD unit, I think the cost of a new remote head would be worth having the extra space for the person sitting shotgun, and not having to spend $ on the console/laptop mount for hanging all that equipment on)


Siren is mounted in an interesting way.


Btw, the title's wrong buddy... I don't see an edge ;-)

Siren isn't used, mostly airhorn use only/


The console for the escape is very small and wouldn't allow for proper mounting of radios and controls. Its the best economically place for it. Yes. a remote control head would have worked great.


SCEMS was deciding between a Police Interceptor or this escape. If SCEMS went with the interceptor, it would have been a 6+ month wait. The escape was delivered the following week.


And yes, its an escape. :duh:

 

[Bullets]

They've also got WAY to much stuff for a BLS service FR car. Thats a ALS cabinet in that car, no need for them to sacrifice the rear passenger seat for all that stuff. A jump bag, a spare D Cylinder and an AED are all an agency like this needs in a fly car. If they really think they need to carry a LSB then they make ones that break in half. Our service manages to fit everything in the trunk of a Dodge Charger

 

[lafd55]

If they are State Certified then why the hell don't they have red lights? I mean hell, I know a community college that runs red lights because they are EMTs..... Such a confusing rig.

 

[firedude]

They've also got WAY to much stuff for a BLS service FR car. Thats a ALS cabinet in that car, no need for them to sacrifice the rear passenger seat for all that stuff. A jump bag, a spare D Cylinder and an AED are all an agency like this needs in a fly car. If they really think they need to carry a LSB then they make ones that break in half. Our service manages to fit everything in the trunk of a Dodge Charger

Yes, SCEMS carries a lot of equipment. Part 800 + some extra stuff.

 

[firedude]

If they are State Certified then why the hell don't they have red lights? I mean hell, I know a community college that runs red lights because they are EMTs..... Such a confusing rig.

I completely agree. However, as explained to me by the Chief, The director of Campus Safety won't allow students to run Red lights. Even with training, he won't allow it. Its in the plan for the future, though.


While the Campus is private property, the main road (called Perimeter Rd) is considered a public road in Saratoga Springs.


SCEMS responded to approx. 115 calls last semester (Sept-December). Most of those calls were non-priority.

 

[ful-vue]

Any EMS vehicle should be displaying the Star of Life.

 

[ClintonPSE]

Those are not Star DLXT's on the front of that monstrosity. DLXT's are much thinner, don't have mounting bolts exposed and don't hold water like those are!


I feel sorry for the person/company that outfit that thing. I don't think there was any possible way to make it look really good....

 

[Skip Goulet]

If not for the markings on the vehicle I'd assume it was REACT- Amber lights and a siren. :dielaugh: :suicide:

My sentiments, exactly. I just can't see running "hot" with amber only in today's traffic.....although I had to do just that when I was a news director and we could only run amber and no siren. But we still got there o.k.


I love the Escapes....especially the original designs, but this one is extremely nice. I'd be interested in seeing this one if red/blue is added to the front. Nice, Nice, Nice!

 

[charlie82]

I completely agree. However, as explained to me by the Chief, The director of Campus Safety won't allow students to run Red lights. Even with training, he won't allow it. Its in the plan for the future, though.

While the Campus is private property, the main road (called Perimeter Rd) is considered a public road in Saratoga Springs.


SCEMS responded to approx. 115 calls last semester (Sept-December). Most of those calls were non-priority.

You might try to have him check in NYS law what defines an EMS vehicle, and if it requires RLS. Then explain to the college that since they act as an EMS vehicle - therefore if anyone ever sued the college for an injury or illness that got worse they could say "well I might not be like this if the EMS vehicle had RLS like NYS mandates." Even if it's not mandated, a lawyer could easily argue that it would be "best practice" to do so. Even though their response times are probably very fast, a lawyer will always argue that things can be faster, and should have been.


I also see where the director is coming from with RLS by students, but by giving them any lights at all, and a siren he is actually putting them at greater risk because they have a siren (run code?) but no proper lights. Thus, they are running code in all senses, but without proper equipment. And if he is concerned about liability, just get some EVOC.

 

[Skip Goulet]

You might try to have him check in NYS law what defines an EMS vehicle, and if it requires RLS. Then explain to the college that since they act as an EMS vehicle - therefore if anyone ever sued the college for an injury or illness that got worse they could say "well I might not be like this if the EMS vehicle had RLS like NYS mandates." Even if it's not mandated, a lawyer could easily argue that it would be "best practice" to do so. Even though their response times are probably very fast, a lawyer will always argue that things can be faster, and should have been.

I also see where the director is coming from with RLS by students, but by giving them any lights at all, and a siren he is actually putting them at greater risk because they have a siren (run code?) but no proper lights. Thus, they are running code in all senses, but without proper equipment. And if he is concerned about liability, just get some EVOC.

Obviously I'm not familiar with NY laws, but in TX vollies are required to run both lights and siren if they have to respond code on a fire or EMS call. For many years a lot of volunteers ran lights only with no problem, until they started getting hit going through intersections with only a teardrop light on top or grille lights. So since the mid-80s both lights and sirens are required. When I first came back here in the '90s I noticed that the emergency mgt. director who is also the county fire marshal only allowed the volunteers in the county depts. to run lights only and no sirens. But my dad was a county commissioner at the time and oversaw emergency mgt., so I mentioned this to him and now the volunteers run lights and sirens, both.

 

[lotsofbars]

Whatever's going on with this thing, I'm just wondering why/how the grille lights are having a seizure.