More on NSW Ambulance Services

I got this in from listener Tim from NSW, Australia.  Some more information on their ambulance services there.

—————————

Just heard your podcast interview with Erk. Great interview.

I thought I’d expand a little on the Ambulance Service of New South Wales (ASNSW). ASNSW is one of the single largest ambulance services in the world. ASNSW provide EMS to over 6.7 million people in NSW, distributed across an area of 801,600 square kilometres. ASNSW provided over 1,052,000 total responses (both emergency and non-emergency) in 2006/07, equivalent to a call for assistance every 30 seconds. This represents an increase of nearly 53,000 responses or 5.4 per cent compared to 2005/06. Over the last two years demand has increased by 11.2 per cent. There are 226 ambulance stations within the state. There are 4 operations/comms centres covering the state and 1 aeromedical operations centre in Sydney. Of the 3,541 staff employed within the Ambulance Service, 89.7 per cent are uniformed ambulance officers (2,720), including over 130 Honorary Ambulance Officers (Volunteers).

The ASNSW fleet includes:

• 954 ambulances (stretcher carrying vehicles) – consisting of Mercedes Benz Sprinter, VW Transporters, Toyota LandCruisers and Ford Transits (Ford Transits are used solely for the Patient Transport Service)
• Approx 400 support vehicles (including 14 rescue trucks, megalift ambulances, cars, 36 rapid response paramedic vehicles)
• 3 BMW Motorbikes
• 4 Beechcraft Super Kingair B200c aircraft (Contracted)
• 9 helicopters (Contracted)
• Specialist over snow vehicles including a Kassborher oversnow vehicle, two Yamaha snowmobiles and a 4WD Quad Bike and trailer.
• The Ambulance Service vehicle fleet is now on average eighteen months old making it one of the most modern and largest ambulance fleet in the world.