An ambulance bought today will be in service for ten, and often fifteen, years. The specialist responsible for purchasing decides not only what the fleet can do this month — they decide what it will be able to do in 2030 and 2032. Technologies that until recently functioned as pilot projects are now entering the operational implementation phase. This changes the list of questions worth asking the vehicle manufacturer before signing a contract.
Telemedicine in the Ambulance — Data Transmission Becomes the Operational Standard
For years, telemedicine in emergency services was mainly associated with remote medical consultations. Today, this concept means something more specific — and more demanding for the vehicle itself.
What Data the Ambulance Transmits to the Hospital
In modern emergency medical service (EMS) teams, an ambulance can transmit a 12-lead ECG recording to the emergency department (ED) while still in transport. The doctor in the ED assesses the rhythm, makes the decision to activate the hemodynamics lab, and prepares the team — before the patient crosses the hospital doors. Alongside the ECG recording, parameters such as saturation, heart rate, and blood pressure are transmitted, going directly into the hospital system without manual transcription by the staff.
In the case of a heart attack and stroke, every minute has a measurable clinical significance. Shortening the time from the first contact with the patient to the therapeutic decision is one of the measurable goals of modernizing emergency medical systems in Europe.
What the Medical Compartment Must Have for Telemedicine to Work
Telemedicine does not happen on its own. It requires specific conditions from the vehicle.
Diagnostic devices must support data transmission — not every defibrillator or monitor does this, and the difference is not always visible in the model name. The electrical installation must provide stable power for devices with a constant connection, without interruptions during changing driving conditions. Sockets and inlets should be protected at least to the IP44 level — a condition included in the EN 1789:2020+A1:2024 standard, but enforced differently depending on the placement of access points in a specific vehicle.
No less important is cable management and device mounting. Equipment operating in continuous monitoring mode cannot change position while driving. The dynamic requirements of EN 1789 — a 10G load — apply here not only to mechanical safety but also to the continuity of electrical connections throughout the entire transport.
Cybersecurity and Data Protection
The development of telemedicine and uninterrupted data transmission open up a new front of hardware requirements — cybersecurity. When the ambulance becomes an active network node (medical IoT), assessing its overall digital security posture becomes a critical parameter. For purchasing specialists, this today means the necessity to verify how the manufacturer manages flaws and vulnerabilities (CVE) in integrated onboard equipment, how it encrypts channels transmitting sensitive patient telemetry, and whether the entire vehicle system architecture meets the rigorous requirements of personal data protection (GDPR). Securing the data stream against outside interference is currently just as important as ensuring the continuity of the power supply in the medical compartment.
Artificial Intelligence in Dispatching and Pre-hospital Diagnostics
AI in emergency medical services is not a single system, but several different applications at different stages of the intervention chain.
At the dispatch center level, algorithms support the prioritization of calls. The software analyzes the report — keywords, address data, history of calls from a given location — and suggests an urgency category. The medical dispatcher makes the decision, but the analysis time is shortened, and the risk of overlooking critical signals decreases.
At the level of the medical compartment itself, AI operates in diagnostic devices. Modern defibrillators have built-in algorithms that analyze the heart rhythm and identify patterns requiring urgent intervention. This is not the future — it is a feature present in devices available today in the catalogs of rescue equipment manufacturers. The Schiller Defigard Touch 7, one of the models available in the KG Special Performance offer, is a device of this generation.
The third area is clinical decision support — algorithms signaling parameter deviations that require a reaction. For now, this is an auxiliary tool, not autonomy — the paramedic verifies every action.
Intervention Automation — Equipment That Takes Over Part of the Workload
Automation in the medical compartment concerns the equipment, not the vehicle itself. And it is exactly here that something important is happening for those configuring ambulances.
Automated mechanical chest compression devices perform CPR without interruptions resulting from changing the rescuer, maintaining a constant rate and depth of compressions. In practice, this means that both team members can simultaneously handle vascular access, ventilation, and drug administration. Automated CPR devices are part of the equipment of KG Special Performance ambulances.
Transport ventilators with assisted ventilation modes, syringe pumps with settable infusion protocols, capnometers continuously monitoring CO₂ levels — each of these devices reduces the number of decisions the paramedic must make manually under stress. Together, they create an environment where the medical compartment actively supports the team’s work.
| Device | Automation Function | Effect for the Team |
| Automatic CPR device | Mechanical compression — constant depth and rhythm | Both paramedics free for parallel procedures |
| Transport ventilator | Ventilation according to set parameters | No need for a manual bag throughout the transport |
| Syringe pump | Precise infusion at a programmed rate | Elimination of manual administration errors |
| Defibrillator with rhythm analysis | Algorithmic ECG assessment | Shortening the time to the decision to defibrillate |
Autonomous Vehicles and Rescue Drones
This topic requires differentiation because the level of technological readiness varies greatly depending on what exactly is being discussed.
Drones delivering AEDs are already operating commercially in several European countries. These services involve dispatching a drone equipped with a defibrillator before the arrival of the EMS team — in selected locations, reaching a patient in cardiac arrest takes drones less time than a traditional ambulance. Drones reach places where a sanitary vehicle is stuck in a traffic jam or where the distance is too great. They do not replace the EMS team — they act before it, shortening the time to the first defibrillation.
Autonomous rescue vehicles are at a completely different stage. Experiments are ongoing, and tests are taking place under controlled conditions. No autonomous ambulance system is operating operationally in the State Emergency Medical Services (PRM) system or any comparable European emergency system. For a person buying an ambulance in 2026, vehicle autonomy is not a decision-making parameter.
What These Trends Mean for a Person Buying an Ambulance Today
In 2026, there is no market category of ambulances with built-in AI understood as systems autonomy. This level of automation applies to dispatch software and selected medical devices. The question for the purchasing specialist is different — will the acquired ambulance allow these systems to be implemented without a costly rebuild in two or three years?
Equipment with Data Output — What to Choose
A defibrillator, monitor, pulse oximeter, capnometer — each of these devices can be a closed system displaying data locally or a component connected to a transmission network. When purchasing, it is worth checking whether the selected models support communication standards enabling integration with hospital and dispatch systems. The mere presence of the device in the ambulance is not enough — what matters is what it can do with the data.
The Control Point as an Integration Center
In KG Special Performance vehicles, all ambulance systems are operated from a single control point. The panel provides access to emergency signaling, oxygen installation monitoring, and vehicle electricity management. This is a design assumption, not a gadget — and it is directly related to the readiness to work with connected devices. Instead of scattered switches and separate panels, the operator sees the state of the vehicle in one place. The lighting of the medical compartment is regulated from the outside using remote controls on the doors, without the need to enter inside during an intervention.
Post-Purchase Service and Updates
Devices with software require updates, and ambulances are increasingly a platform for such devices. Vehicle service is no longer just mechanics and bodywork. KG Special Performance provides full post-delivery support, including inspections and repairs of the medical compartment, upgrades of inverters, stretcher systems, and radio systems, as well as a 24/7 service hotline available at +48 571 925 073. When choosing a manufacturer, it is worth considering not only the price of the vehicle but also the service capabilities throughout the life of the fleet.
Summary of Trends — Status for 2026
| Trend | Status | Significance for Ambulance Purchase |
| Telemedicine / transmission of ECG and parameters | Operational in some EMS systems in Europe | Requires devices with data output and a stable electrical installation |
| AI in the dispatch center | Implemented in selected systems | Does not apply directly to the vehicle |
| AI in diagnostic devices | Feature available in current models | Criterion for selecting specific medical devices |
| Automatic CPR devices and ventilators | Standard in Type C and Type B ambulances, growing in Type A | Criterion for configuring the compartment and selecting equipment |
| AED drones | Commercially operational in selected countries | No impact on the ambulance purchase decision |
| Autonomous rescue vehicles | Experimental | Not a decision-making factor in 2026 |
Purchasing an ambulance in 2026 is purchasing a vehicle ready to work with connected diagnostic equipment, supporting data transmission, and enabling the integration of automatic rescue devices. Autonomous technologies do not change this decision today, but telemedicine and intervention automation already do. The question about the electrical and configurational readiness of the vehicle for these systems should be on the list of questions for the manufacturer alongside the question about compliance with EN 1789:2024.
FAQ
Some Polish EMS teams use ECG transmission systems to hospitals, especially in large agglomerations. Implementation is not uniform — it depends on the operator, agreements with the National Health Fund (NFZ), and the equipment of a specific vehicle. The EN 1789:2020+A1:2024 standard, which new sanitary vehicles must meet, specifies the electrical and installation requirements that constitute the base infrastructure for telemedicine systems.
There is no single industry definition. In practice, it refers to ambulances equipped with diagnostic equipment with data transmission, documentation management systems, and communication with the dispatch center. The digital ambulance understood in this way is a reality in selected EMS systems in Western Europe and Scandinavia. In Poland, implementation is heterogeneous and depends on the operator and the region.
Three elements are of the greatest importance. An electrical installation with IP44 sockets and a stable power supply for devices with continuous data transmission. A control point enabling the operation of all vehicle systems from one position. The ability to configure and upgrade after delivery — a manufacturer offering post-installation service and upgrades of onboard systems allows the ambulance to be maintained in compliance with growing technological requirements throughout its entire service life.
Not in the foreseeable future. Autonomous ambulances remain at the experimental stage and no operational system in European emergency medical services uses them. A drone delivering an AED before the arrival of the EMS team — that is a different story, already operating commercially in selected countries. An autonomous vehicle replacing a qualified rescue team is a separate level of technical, legal, and ethical complexity.
