Ambulances (RTW) are special vehicles that are used in the field of emergency medical rescue. The ambulance differs from the patient transport vehicle (KTW), or simply ambulance, in that the ambulance carries out regular patient transportation, for example when transferring patients to another hospital. The ambulance, on the other hand, is specialized for use in medical emergencies.
Ambulances: regulations and use in Germany
Ambulances can be equipped and designed differently depending on the state or federal state in which they are used. In Germany, supervision of the rescue services is the responsibility of the federal states. Therefore, although each state has its own laws and regulations in this area, the equipment of ambulances and rescue vehicles in Germany is largely uniformly regulated by DIN EN 1789 and was last updated in 2020. This European standard replaced the previously valid DIN 75080. The principles are prescribed, but deviations may occur due to a number of optional equipment items.
Types B and C, which are defined according to the DIN standard, are primarily used as ambulances and rescue vehicles. These have significantly more extensive equipment, with type C carrying even more equipment in the ambulance, such as an emergency and transport ventilator.
Construction of ambulances
Small vans with box bodies are widely used as ambulances. The advantage of this type of special vehicle is that the body can also be used with other mobile undercarriages independently of the base vehicle. The box body is built by a special vehicle manufacturer, for example Norrenbrock Technik GmbH, fitted with the necessary equipment and placed on the base vehicle. If the base vehicle needs to be replaced by a new one at the end of its service life, the box body can simply be taken over, which can significantly reduce the acquisition costs for the ambulance.
In terms of vehicle technology, the basic vehicles for ambulances largely correspond to the series version. The majority of the technical challenges for special vehicle construction relate to the box body and the technical equipment it contains. Due to the high number of electrical consumers in an ambulance, many vehicles have an engine run-on circuit. Under certain conditions, this allows the ignition key to be removed without the engine being switched off. This reduces the risk of theft - the ambulance cannot be moved without the ignition key - while the numerous medical devices and the signaling system continue to be supplied with power.
