Emergency Services at A-B Tech Woodfin was able to purchase a cargo van from dealer stock via state contract using CARES funding for use in the Emergency Medical Science Program. The van-style ambulance performs and handles differently than the traditional box ambulance and larger medium-duty truck ambulances, both of which we have in our training fleet.
According to Clint Gorman, Emergency Services Dean, the cargo van will be outfitted with emergency lights and siren and until they can have cabinets built in the cargo area, and for now - bags of sand to provide the weight of an actual ambulance.
“Building a driver training vehicle in this manner saves us over 40 percent of the cost of an actual ambulance and gives us all of the features needed to train drivers. We can use it for on-campus simulations during paramedic classes, once it is completely outfitted. We will use it immediately to train non-paramedic local government employees to drive EMS units in the event of a critical shortage of EMS personnel due to COVID or other disasters.The idea of outfitting a cargo van instead of buying a full-fledged ambulance came from DJ Jackson, EMS lead faculty member,” Gorman said.