Personalization of an ambulance involves adapting the base vehicle, medical compartment, installations, and equipment to the tasks of a specific team. The design should take into account technical requirements, applicable regulations, vehicle documentation, and the actual working conditions of the personnel.
A well-planned configuration does not start with a catalog of available options, but with an analysis of procedures, staffing, area of operation, and equipment used during interventions. Only on this basis can it be determined which elements of the ambulance are worth adapting.
What can be personalized in an ambulance?
Personalization may include the base vehicle, medical compartment, installations, equipment with mountings, and marking. The scope of possible changes depends on the specific model, purpose of the vehicle, technical documentation, and applicable requirements.
| Area | What can be adapted | Limitations |
| Base vehicle | Make, model, drive, transmission, and selected heating systems | Gross vehicle weight, technical parameters, and compatibility with the conversion |
| Medical compartment | Interior layout, arrangement of cabinets, workstations, and equipment | Usable space, safety, ergonomics, and technical requirements |
| Installations | Arrangement of oxygen points, power outlets, and lighting control | Installation parameters, available power, and safety requirements |
| Equipment and mountings | Arrangement of equipment, rails, mounting plates, and storage modules | Compatibility with devices, mounting stability, and equipment accessibility |
| Marking | Graphic design and identification of the dispatcher | Applicable regulations concerning the marking of emergency medical service vehicles |
Example of KG Special Performance offer
KG Special Performance from Warsaw offers ambulance conversions based on the Volkswagen Crafter and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, among others. The manufacturer’s website presents various conversion solutions, including configurations of a type B ambulance based on a Sprinter.
The available options and parameters must always be confirmed in the current offer and specification of the specific vehicle. Information about equipment published on the manufacturer’s website does not necessarily mean that every configuration is identical.
Limits of personalization resulting from standards and regulations
The EN 1789 standard specifies technical requirements for road ambulances, including their design, testing, performance, and selected aspects of equipment.
When designing a conversion, requirements specific to a given configuration and documentation confirming the vehicle’s compliance must be taken into account. However, compliance with a technical standard itself does not substitute checking other legal and contractual requirements.
Requirements for ambulance equipment may arise from several sources, in particular from applicable regulations, conditions for providing services, and the terms of a specific order.
Therefore, before starting a project, it should be determined:
- what type of team will use the vehicle;
- what requirements apply to a given type of services;
- what technical requirements apply to the selected configuration;
- what additional requirements are specified by the ordering party.
Current regulations should be checked in official publications, as their content may change.
Important: the classification of an emergency medical service team and the requirements concerning its personnel composition should not be derived solely from the type of conversion or the amount of equipment. These issues must be assessed on the basis of applicable regulations.
How to gather team requirements before the project?
Before talking to the manufacturer, it is worth gathering information regarding four areas: staffing, procedures, working conditions, and planned equipment.
Team composition and workspaces around the patient
The number of people working in the medical compartment affects the organization of space, arrangement of seats, and access to equipment.
It is worth analyzing where team members stand or sit during typical activities, which places they use, and what equipment must be accessible without unnecessary movement.
It should not be assumed that a single configuration will be optimal for every crew. The interior layout should correspond to the actual way a given team works and the requirements of the specific vehicle.
Procedures, working positions, and frequency of equipment use
Observing actual procedures can help determine which pieces of equipment should be closest to the workstation.
Before the project, you can analyze:
- the most frequently performed activities;
- working positions of the personnel;
- equipment used during individual procedures;
- difficulties with access to cabinets and devices;
- situations in which it is necessary to move around the compartment.
Conclusions from such an analysis should be treated as helpful information when designing, and not as independent confirmation of compliance with technical requirements.
Area, dispatch intensity, and parking location
Operating conditions affect the choice of vehicle and its equipment. When evaluating the configuration, it is worth considering the type of roads, winter conditions, dispatch frequency, operating time of devices, and the availability of power supply while parked.
The choice of a four-wheel drive should result from an analysis of actual operating conditions. It cannot be considered necessary for every ambulance.
If the vehicle will regularly use mains power while parked, it should be checked which systems can be used then and what technical conditions apply to their installation.
Questions for the team before ordering
Before starting the project, it is worth answering the following questions:
- How many people work in the compartment during a typical dispatch?
- What activities are performed most often?
- What equipment must be accessible from the workstation at the head of the stretcher?
- What road conditions occur in the operational area?
- Where is the vehicle parked between dispatches?
- Is mains power available at the parking location?
- Which devices can operate during a long mission without being connected to the mains?
- What does access to oxygen cylinders and their replacement look like?
- What equipment changes may occur in the future?
- Who will participate in the vehicle acceptance and training?
Layout of the medical compartment and team work
Access to the patient and the rescuer’s station
The layout of the space at the head of the stretcher is of significant importance for the organization of work. When designing, access to the patient, arrangement of equipment, and the possibility of performing activities in the conditions envisaged for a given vehicle must be taken into account.
Requirements for personnel work while driving should be assessed taking into account applicable safety rules and the ambulance’s structural limitations.
Before approving the project, it is worth checking:
- whether the most important devices can be reached from the planned workstation;
- whether cabinets open without hindering work;
- whether the position of the seat allows for the execution of planned activities;
- whether aisles remain accessible;
- whether the arrangement of equipment does not hinder patient transport.
It is best to conduct such an assessment on a mockup, in a demonstration vehicle, or in a configuration with a comparable interior layout.
Stretcher and stretcher base
The stretcher and its base occupy a significant part of the medical compartment space. Their selection should be analyzed together with the layout of seats, cabinets, and other equipment.
Before ordering, check the compatibility of the selected solution with the vehicle and access to devices located near the rescuer’s station.
It is also important to check whether the mounting method and the arrangement of conversion elements do not hinder safe loading and unloading of the stretcher.
Cabinets, mountings, and equipment at hand
A practical way to organize equipment is to divide the space according to the frequency of equipment use.
The most frequently used devices can be placed in an easily accessible place, while equipment used less often can be located in further storage compartments, provided it remains accessible and properly secured.
The arrangement of equipment should be determined before making the conversion. The list of devices must take into account their dimensions, weight, mounting method, and usage requirements.
Information about storage modules and their design should be confirmed in the manufacturer’s documentation for the specific configuration.
Power supply, oxygen, and lighting in the ambulance
Power load calculation
A power load calculation helps to assess whether the planned electrical installation meets the needs of the equipment.
When preparing the calculation, you should:
- Make a list of devices that can operate simultaneously.
- Determine their power and expected operating time.
- Calculate the approximate energy consumption in watt-hours.
- Determine the maximum load of the installation.
- Compare the results with the parameters of the batteries and the inverter.
- Take into account the required reserve and possible expansion of equipment.
Example: a 100 W device operating for 3 hours will theoretically consume 300 Wh. The actual demand of the entire system may be higher due to losses and the way the installation works.
The parameters of batteries, inverter, and other components should be confirmed in the technical documentation. If necessary, the manufacturer should assist in assessing the planned load.
Oxygen system and access to cylinders
On the KG Special Performance website, in the description of a type B ambulance based on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, three oxygen points, two 10-liter cylinders, and a portable cylinder are indicated.
Before ordering, it should be confirmed whether the selected configuration meets the needs of the team and what solution is provided for the specific vehicle.
It is worth determining:
- the arrangement of oxygen points;
- access to valves;
- the method of mounting the cylinders;
- the cylinder replacement procedure;
- conditions for storing and transporting the portable cylinder.
The number of oxygen points and their arrangement should result from the design, the application of the ambulance, and applicable technical requirements.
Lighting and control
The manufacturer specifies three lighting levels for the described Sprinter B configuration: 25%, 50%, and 100%.
Before ordering, it should be confirmed what solution will be applied in the selected vehicle and from which places the lighting can be controlled.
It is also worth determining how to operate other systems and the behavior of the installation while parked and connected to mains power.
Base vehicle and ambulance marking
Drive, transmission, and heating
The choice of drive and transmission should take into account operating conditions, the nature of the team’s work, and the availability of service.
In the case of a specific Sprinter configuration, the available drive, transmission, and heating variants should be confirmed with the manufacturer.
It should not be assumed that all listed options are available in every version of the ambulance. Their availability may depend on the base model, year of manufacture, and the conversion design.
Weight and payload after conversion
The curb weight of the vehicle after conversion has a direct impact on its remaining payload capacity.
When preparing a project, the following should be taken into account:
- the weight of the base vehicle;
- the weight of the conversion;
- the weight of the equipment;
- the weight of the crew and the patient;
- the weight of portable equipment;
- the weight of cylinders and other additional elements.
Before approving the configuration, it is worth obtaining data from the manufacturer regarding the weight of the ready vehicle and axle loads for the proposed version.
The final assessment of compliance with allowable parameters requires reference to the documentation of the specific car.
Ambulance marking
The marking of ambulances and other vehicles used in the State Emergency Medical Services system is subject to applicable regulations.
Before approving the livery design, check the current version of the relevant regulation, including requirements concerning the graphic pattern, colors, and arrangement of marking elements.
In particular, the design should not be based solely on older promotional materials or previous versions of regulations.
The livery design should combine legal requirements with the identification of the vehicle’s dispatcher. The availability of design execution and vehicle wrap should be confirmed in the current offer of the manufacturer.
What does personalization look like step by step?
Personalization can be divided into five stages.
| Stage | What to determine | What to pay attention to |
| Configuration selection | Staffing, procedures, area, equipment, and power supply | It is easiest to make changes before the project is approved |
| Production | The method of approving and documenting changes | Every change must be agreed upon with the manufacturer |
| Commissioning | Inspection of installation and equipment | Comparing the finished vehicle with the specification |
| Personnel training | Operation of equipment and systems | The scope of training should correspond to the vehicle configuration |
| Service and modernization | Possibility of repairs, changes, and expansion | Availability of support and compliance of future changes with documentation |
Before signing the contract, it is worth determining whether the manufacturer provides the opportunity to agree on the design before starting production, how changes are documented, and what conditions apply in the scope of after-sales service.
How to write down needs in the tender specifications?
In the case of a public procurement, requirements should be written down in a clear, unambiguous, and verifiable manner.
Instead of limiting the description to the model name, specific functional parameters can be specified, for example:
- arrangement of selected power points;
- requirements regarding access to equipment;
- the method of mounting specific devices;
- workspace parameters;
- installation and safety requirements.
When preparing the tender specifications, requirements resulting from regulations should be distinguished from additional user needs.
Requirements should be appropriately justified and formulated in a manner consistent with the rules applicable to a given procedure.
Changes after taking delivery of the vehicle
After taking delivery of the ambulance, needs related to the replacement or expansion of equipment may arise.
Already at the design stage, it is worth considering the possibility of future changes, such as:
- additional power outlets;
- space for new devices;
- possibility of expanding mountings;
- appropriate installation reserve, if technically provided for;
- space for cables and auxiliary elements.
Every planned modernization should be assessed for compatibility with the vehicle, impact on weight and installations, as well as documentation requirements.
It should not be assumed that every change can be made without modifying the design or additional technical assessment.
FAQ
It may affect the parameters and compliance of the finished configuration. Therefore, changes should be assessed in relation to the vehicle documentation, the scope of application of the standard, and other requirements.
It depends on the design of the vehicle, the scope of changes, and technical possibilities. Before modernization, the solution must be agreed upon with the manufacturer or a suitably qualified contractor.
The type of emergency medical service crew results from applicable regulations and requirements concerning its organization. Merely increasing the amount of equipment should not be treated as an independent basis for determining the type of crew.
It is worth involving a representative of the rescue team, the fleet manager, and the conversion designer. In public procurement, the person responsible for preparing the contract requirements should also be included.
No. The choice of drive should take into account operating conditions, user requirements, vehicle parameters, and service availability.
