Ambulance bus

Ambulance buses can be deployed to major incidents, where multiple patients are present or expected, and can be used in two main ways: The units can act in a stationary capacity as a casualty clearing station, field hospital or treatment center; alternatively, they can be used to transport multiple stretcher- or wheelchair-bound patients from scene to the next definitive point of care.^[7]

Medical Ambulance Buses (MABs) are designed from the ground up to handle the increased demands of multi-patient treatment and transportation. MABs provide a large number of stretchered patients^[8] with oxygen,^[9] a controlled climate and the electrical capacity to power essential medical equipment^[10]

In some cases, existing responder vehicles like older school or city buses can be used as casualty transport through the installation of a stretcher conversion kit. These conversion kits are inexpensive alternatives when agencies do not have enough funding for a new ALS/BLS Medical Ambulance Bus. MAB Stretcher Conversion Kits [1] give first responders and municipalities the option of a low cost temporarily installed or permanently installed stretcher conversion kit for responses.

In the event of a major disaster or evacuation, ambulance buses can be used to transport high volumes of non-ambulatory hospital and nursing home patients out of harm's way. Critical care transport and Advanced Life Support systems are integrated into each vehicle to accommodate the needs of patients requiring constant intensive care.^[8]

Some charities operate ambulance buses in a patient transport role specifically to allow stretcher bound patients to take excursions or holidays away from hospital, whilst still be able to benefit from a full care service from their healthcare escorts.^[4]

Some mass casualty buses are specially adapted to for CBRN incidents and can be used for quarantine or isolation of contaminated patients. These vehicles may have additional features such as a sealed bulkhead to separate the driver compartment from the patient compartment. The equivalent functionality of the ambulance buses may also be built into other vehicles such as lorries, trains or other large mass transit vehicles. These mass evacuation buses are well suited to being used for quarantine and containment.