Editing Ambulance (section)

===Equipment===
[[File:Ambulance Interior Details.jpg|thumb|right|Interior of a mobile intensive care unit (MICU) ambulance from [[Graz]], Austria]]
[[File:Tail lift deploy.png|Four stages of deployment on an inboard ambulance [[tail lift]]|thumb|right]]
In addition to the equipment directly used for the treatment of patients, ambulances may be fitted with a range of additional equipment which is used in order to facilitate patient care. This could include:
* '''Two-way radio''' – One of the most important pieces of equipment in modern emergency medical services as it allows for the issuing of jobs to the ambulance, and can allow the crew to pass information back to control or to the hospital (for example a priority [[ASHICE]] message to alert the hospital of the impending arrival of a critical patient.)<ref name=radio1/><ref name=radio2/> More recently many services worldwide have moved from traditional analog [[UHF]]/[[VHF]] sets, which can be monitored externally, to more secure digital systems, such as those working on a [[GSM]] system, such as [[TETRA]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.motorola.com/staticfiles/Business/_Documents/Case%20studies/_Static%20files/case%20study%20ireland%20nationwide.pdf?localeId=252 |title=Motorola and Tetra Ireland Consortium Deliver National Public Safety Network |publisher=Motorola |access-date=19 October 2009}}{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
* '''[[Mobile data terminal]]''' – Some ambulances are fitted with [[mobile data terminal]]s (or MDTs), which are connected wirelessly to a central computer, usually at the control center. These terminals can function instead of or alongside the two-way radio and can be used to pass details of jobs to the crew, and can log the time the crew was mobile to a patient, arrived, and left the scene, or fulfill any other computer-based function.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.microbus.com/Mobile_Data/Market/Public_Safety.aspx |title=MDT Market Sectors |publisher=Microbus |access-date=13 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327104206/http://microbus.com/Mobile_Data/Market/Public_Safety.aspx |archive-date=27 March 2010}}</ref>
* '''Evidence gathering [[CCTV]]''' – Some ambulances are now being fitted with video cameras used to record activity either inside or outside the vehicle. They may also be fitted with sound recording facilities. This can be used as a form of protection from violence against ambulance crews,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/3925661.stm|title=CCTV to protect ambulance staff|date=26 July 2004|access-date=13 June 2007|work=BBC News}}</ref> or in some cases (dependent on local laws) to prove or disprove cases where a member of the crew stands accused of [[malpractice]].
* '''[[Tail lift]] or ramp''' – Ambulances can be fitted with a tail lift or ramp in order to facilitate loading a patient without having to undertake any lifting. This is especially important where the patient is [[obese]] or specialty care transports that require large, bulky equipment such as a [[neonatal incubator]] or [[hospital bed]]s. There may also be equipment linked to this such as [[winch]]es which are designed to pull heavy patients into the vehicle.<ref name=tail>{{cite web|url=http://www.rossandbonnyman.co.uk/specialist-lifts.html#aa|title=Ambulance Lifts|publisher=Ross and Bonnyman|access-date=27 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701055836/http://www.rossandbonnyman.co.uk/specialist-lifts.html#aa|archive-date=1 July 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* '''Trauma lighting''' – In addition to normal working lighting, ambulances can be fitted with special lighting (often blue or red) which is used when the patient becomes [[photosensitivity|photosensitive]].
* '''[[Air conditioning]]''' – Ambulances are often fitted with a separate air conditioning system to serve the working area from that which serves the cab. This helps to maintain an appropriate temperature for any patients being treated but may also feature additional features such as [[filter (air)|filter]]ing against airborne pathogens.
* '''Data recorders''' – These are often placed in ambulances to record such information as speed, braking power and time, activation of active emergency warnings such as lights and sirens, as well as seat belt usage. These are often used in coordination with [[GPS]] units.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.inmotiontechnology.com/newsevents/roadsafety.html |title=Press Releases |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713035514/http://www.inmotiontechnology.com/newsevents/roadsafety.html |archive-date=13 July 2011}}</ref>

In 2021 ''[[The New England Journal of Medicine]]'' published a ''Prospective, Multicenter, Controlled Trial of Mobile Stroke Units'', related to healthcare effectiveness of ambulances "equipped with a [[CT scanner]], [[point-of-care]] laboratory testing, and personnel trained to diagnose and treat patients with [[stroke]] in the ambulance, including administration of [[tissue plasminogen activator|t-PA]] and [[triage]] for [[endovascular thrombectomy|EVT]]."<ref>{{Cite journal|author=Grotta, James C.|author2=Yamal, Jose-Miguel|author3=Parker, Stephanie A.|date=2021-09-08|title=Prospective, Multicenter, Controlled Trial of Mobile Stroke Units|journal=New England Journal of Medicine|volume=385|issue=11|pages=971–981|access-date=2025-04-09|doi=10.1056/NEJMoa2103879|OCLC=9239893712|PMID=34496173|url=https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2103879}}</ref> As 2025, some Europena Uniion countries (e.g. [[Italy]]) are evaluating their adoption.<ref>{{Cite web|language=it|author=Giacomo Sebastiano Canova|url=https://www.nurse24.it/dossier/unita-mobili-dedicate-migliorano-esiti-pazienti-trattati.html|title=Unità mobili per ictus migliorano gli esiti dei pazienti trattati|website=Nurse24.it|date=2021-09-18|access-date=2025-04-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203164519/https://www.nurse24.it/dossier/unita-mobili-dedicate-migliorano-esiti-pazienti-trattati.html|archive-date=December 3, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref>