By Rita Kueny
SPC Ambulance Program Compliance Information Update As an update to information provided by Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Ambulance Compliance Section, Chief Keith Buhs issued a June 30 memo to EMS System Coordinators, IDPH Regional Coordinators and IDPH Ambulance Inspection Staff to address questions regarding changes in federal procurement specifications regarding ambulances. As reported, the proposed changes, primarily to the cot retention systems, could add considerable cost to any ambulance ordered after July 1.
In his letter Chief Buhs states that, “Therefore, until changes are made to the IDPH EMS Administrative Code, Illinois providers are, and will continue to be held to the 2007 version of the KKK-A-1822F standard. In other words, the 2007 KKK-A-1822F standard remains the standard in Illinois until the IDPH EMS Administrative Code is changed. IDPH is in agreement with greater safety standards for the transportation of patients. IDPH is currently reviewing and considering the updated ambulance build standards for potential future inclusion into the IDPH EMS Administrative Code. The Department will be seeking input from stakeholders as we move forward on identifying components of new ambulance build standards.”
Despite the guidance from IDPH, the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative (SPC) Additional Duty Ambulance vendor and Foster Coach President Steve Foster, advises placing orders with the new mounts, as most manufacturers will make the customer sign a waiver if they do not order the mounts. Should you have any questions or require additional information, please contact Keith Buhs, 217-557-3895 or Steve Foster, 800-369-4215, ext. 3, 815-499-0215 (cell).
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