Chicago FD Places Order For New Ambulances

[TacSupport1]

Chicago FD has placed an order with Wheeled Coach for 45 new ambulances.  I've heard it's a mixed order of Type I's and Type III's, with the Type III's being on a Ford E-450 chasis.

 

Does anyone have further information?

 

 

[senatobiafire704]

I saw on Facebook that they are ordering a new SCBA and Oxygen apparatus. Somewhere in the neighborhood of $750,000. I'll see if I can find that link again.

[Guest]

http://chicagoareafire.com/blog/2013/10/...-services/

[TacSupport1]

Um, I thought I asked about the ambulance bid?

[karl4700]

Tac,

 

I can only assume from seeing all the firehouses in Chicago that the type III rigs will be slated for the smaller houses.  I know the F series rigs were really tight in many of the older single bay stations.  I'm not sure if there is more behind this, but this a just a guess from me.

[Guest]

I have been and still am working on the oxygen half of the new MCU/Spec OPS breathing air/oxygen rig. Half of the truck will be an on site breathing air compressor with fill station and bottle storage. My side will  have a medical grade oxygen generator and filling station, also multiple storage cylinders for oxygen, and on board manifold for upto 10 pt's or firefighters in rehab. Plus storage for several portable cylinders. This truck iss going to be larger than what Marion has built for the MABAS air trucks. 

[FireMedic049]

Tac,

 

I can only assume from seeing all the firehouses in Chicago that the type III rigs will be slated for the smaller houses.  I know the F series rigs were really tight in many of the older single bay stations.  I'm not sure if there is more behind this, but this a just a guess from me.

I doubt that is the reason unless there was a typo regarding chassis selection.  The current ambulances look to be on the 165" WB version of the F-series models with 12' patient modules (give or take a couple inches).  The E-450 chassis has a 158" WB and patient modules typically run from 13' to 14' (give or take a couple inches).  As such, the overall length of the E-450 units would probably be very close to that of the current F-series. 

 

Assuming that the overall length is the issue with the smaller houses and the type III units ordered will actually be on the E-350 chassis (138" WB), then that might be the reason for the change.

 

Now, if width is the issue, then that could be addressed without having to switch from the F-series to the E-series chassis.

 

Regardless, the switch to E-series chassis for some units also means a switch from diesel to gas engines for those units since I'm pretty sure that diesel engines are still not available for the E-series currently.

[TacSupport1]

Are there still houses running the E series from previous orders?

[Juice]

Regardless, the switch to E-series chassis for some units also means a switch from diesel to gas engines for those units since I'm pretty sure that diesel engines are still not available for the E-series currently.

 

From what I was told by a friend who helped with the spec'ing of a new truck, diesels are back in the E-Series. Didn't take them long to relize that they made a mistake.

 

Trav!

[ACPD227]

I thought Ford stopped making the E series all together.

[hp1530]

 

From what I was told by a friend who helped with the spec'ing of a new truck, diesels are back in the E-Series. Didn't take them long to relize that they made a mistake.

 

Trav!

 

It only took Ford a few years. I think the last diesels were offered back in 2009 and then no more. I checked the Ford site and sure enough only gas engines are available. 

 

I thought Ford stopped making the E series all together.

 

I read that Ford was planning to replace the E series with the Transit (bigger brother to the Transit Connect) in 2015.

[Juice]

Well I may be wrong then, I thought the diesels were back, and so did he!

 

Trav!

[FireMedic049]

Well I may be wrong then, I thought the diesels were back, and so did he!

 

Trav!

I had read official releases and published stories a couple years ago reporting that Ford intended to retire the E-series and replace it in some fashion with a model that already existed, primarily in Europe, with (IMO) a similar look to the Sprinter chassis.  I thought the transition was to be underway by now.

 

The diesel option went away about 2 years ago I think.

 

It's certainly possible that Ford changed their minds, but haven't made the announcement yet.

[Roto-Ray]

The diesels in the E-series were actually discontinued at the end of 2010, and there aren't any publicized plans for a return of the diesel in the E's.

[Guest]

Guy's I work in the ambulance sales industry.  I can say without a doubt there is no Ford E series diesel coming back. 

In fact the E series is done for with Ford actually announcing that back in 2007, 2013 will be the last model year. 

 

The new van is in fact the bigger cousin of the Transit Connect and will be called the Transit.  It will have a diesel but from

what I have seen from Ford info releases the GVWR of the Transit cutaway is so small 10,360 GVWR that only a 149" module

will be able to be installed safely, from a weight distribution standpoint.  To compare, that GVWR is only 310 lbs more than the

E-350 cutaway was or 4,130 lbs less than the E450 cutaway.

 

I have attached a PIC that was passed along as a promotional PIC to show what the van looks like.  I've seen a few of these

up close here in Michigan coming over from Canada.  It will make a nice type II to compete with the Sprinter but beyond that

I'm not so sure.

 

Here is the Ford press release from yesterday announcing the product officially.

 

http://www.at.ford.com/news/cn/Pages/All...rings.aspx

 

Kris

[FireMedic049]

The new van is in fact the bigger cousin of the Transit Connect and will be called the Transit.  It will have a diesel but from
what I have seen from Ford info releases the GVWR of the Transit cutaway is so small 10,360 GVWR that only a 149" module

will be able to be installed safely, from a weight distribution standpoint.  To compare, that GVWR is only 310 lbs more than the

E-350 cutaway was or 4,130 lbs less than the E450 cutaway.


Kris

Are you sure about those weights?  From what I've seen the E-350 GVW cutaway is in the area of  11,500 range which would put this new chassis below what the current E-350 is and totally eliminate Ford from the market that the E-450 competes in.

 

Doesn't seem like a good business strategy to me.

[Guest]

Are you sure about those weights?  From what I've seen the E-350 GVW cutaway is in the area of  11,500 range which would put this new chassis below what the current E-350 is and totally eliminate Ford from the market that the E-450 competes in.

 

Doesn't seem like a good business strategy to me.

 

The Transit weights are 100% correct direct from Ford.  But I did get my E-350 weights mixed up I was thinking about the Single rear wheel instead of dual, the dual E-350 is 11,500.

 

No one really likes Ford's thinking here, but here are some inside things to think about.

 

1: All ambulance chassis for one year combined all makes and brands was equal in 2011 to only one days production of the E series van.  At that time Penske Leasing was purchasing at least three days of production of the E series van.  Kind of shows you why us ambulance guys don't get much love from the manufactures.

 

2: Ford and most auto companies are moving and have been for some time to multiple platform frames.  The Transit fits this where basically now I believe all Ford's van platforms around the world will be built on that one frame.  If I recall correctly as well the Transit the frame is used to build one of the pickups.  In addition the interior is much of the sames as in the Focus, while the gas engines are the same as the F-150's.

 

3: Avon Lake which previously built the E series will now build the F series commercial and some Ford RV chassis, which was previously built at the Blue Diamond joint Ford / International plant in Mexico.

 

4: The Transit will be built / assembled in Missouri.

 

5: Keep in mind Ford sees the future of van's as that of the Mercedes Sprinter, Nissan and others in that same size range.  Dodge I believe has a similar sized van chassis debuting next year.

 

6: One last thought the Transit van has actually been in production since 1965.  It's not a new platform by any means but this version had a much heavier North American design influence.

 

Finally I don't like the move but I do understand it.  I just wish they would have beefed up the suspension to allow heavier GVWR's and perhaps they will after a year or two.  But then again I've been hoping Chevy would beef up the Silverado front end but there is little hope left.  Every year I ask the Chevy guys at FDIC and every year they just stare at me like a deer in the headlights.

 

Kris

[FireMedic049]

 

The Transit weights are 100% correct direct from Ford.  But I did get my E-350 weights mixed up I was thinking about the Single rear wheel instead of dual, the dual E-350 is 11,500.

 

I thought that might be the case.


 

 

No one really likes Ford's thinking here, but here are some inside things to think about.

 


Finally I don't like the move but I do understand it.  I just wish they would have beefed up the suspension to allow heavier GVWR's and perhaps they will after a year or two.  But then again I've been hoping Chevy would beef up the Silverado front end but there is little hope left.  Every year I ask the Chevy guys at FDIC and every year they just stare at me like a deer in the headlights.

Yeah, the beefed up suspension could be coming in the future.  Chevy did that with the G-series (in current form).  The 3500 hit the streets and the 4500 followed a few years later.  If that's the intention, it would seem to be an odd course to me though.  Chevy made a significant dent into the 350/3500 market when Ford had that engine issue a few years back and didn't have an engine for the E-series and again with the current lack of a diesel engine.  Chevy seems to be doing well in the 450/4500 market too.  They could easily lose more ground with the lack of a suitable replacement for the E-450.

 

Personally, I don't care much since I think the current G-series from Chevy in a much better chassis to the E-series and the EMS agency I work for switched to them 5 years ago and stuck with them when it came time for replacement and that will likely continue.

 

I agree with you on the Silverado.  I've been wondering why they haven't come up with a C/K 4500 model to compete with the F-450 and Dodge 4500.

[npfd801]

 

 But then again I've been hoping Chevy would beef up the Silverado front end but there is little hope left.  Every year I ask the Chevy guys at FDIC and every year they just stare at me like a deer in the headlights.

 

Kris

Exactly my thoughts.  I've had it with Ford for a number of reasons, and the last few light trucks we've purchased have been Chevy trucks and have been very trouble free.  We're a couple of years  (wishful thinking, anyway) from owning an ambulance, but my gut is to buy whatever we can put on a K3500 Silverado chassis with the Duramax.  I know we'd give up a bit in the size of the box, but it isn't like we have 30 minute transport times to our three hospitals.  I'm sure this will be a topic of great discussion if we get an ambulance deal done.  There seems to be this huge push towards absolutely enormous ambulances, and I'm not sure we'd need something that large.

[Guest]

Exactly my thoughts.  I've had it with Ford for a number of reasons, and the last few light trucks we've purchased have been Chevy trucks and have been very trouble free.  We're a couple of years  (wishful thinking, anyway) from owning an ambulance, but my gut is to buy whatever we can put on a K3500 Silverado chassis with the Duramax.  I know we'd give up a bit in the size of the box, but it isn't like we have 30 minute transport times to our three hospitals.  I'm sure this will be a topic of great discussion if we get an ambulance deal done.  There seems to be this huge push towards absolutely enormous ambulances, and I'm not sure we'd need something that large.

 

You can do alot on a 3500 chassis, but that also means some of the heavier bodys need to be eliminated.  I'm doing a final inspection tonight & tomorrow but hopefully I will be able to upload some pics to a new topic in the other emergency vehicles category this weekend.  Good luck to you in the future, trying to convince a group on a change of size especially when going smaller is CHALLENGING to say the least! 

 

The problem I continually see is that customers are looking to carry everything and the kitchen sink.  I've had to put JAWS, pike poles, cribbing just to name a few things, OH I forgot my favorite three M size O2 tanks.  I would like the beffed up Silverado for those customers, I think for alot the 3500 will do as long as they are willing to give up some space and pay close attention to weight ratings. 

 

I think the EMS industries biggest problem is overloaded trucks.  I try to have my customers weigh each truck after delivery and loading while carrying a simulated patient, driver and two attendants.  It's best to understand if your overweight and what puts you over before its cold & icy while coming down a hill one night!

 

Kris