BCFire05

Ambulance service is Acadian Ambulance. Based out of Lafayette, LA and cover a good chunk of Texas. We carry a Back Board, and BLS supplies (Oxygen with associated supplies, AED Medtronic LIFEPAK 1000 , C-Collars, and so forth).Yes Texas does require License plates, we just hadn't put them on at the time of the picture being taken. The lights in the License Plate area are on a special mount that wraps around the top of the plate using the plates mounts. They don't cover the plate's numbers.

Hey guys. We finally got our new med truck back from striping. New design if anyone has seen the other truck pics I've posted. 2012 Expedition all Whelen Lighting.

The traffic advisor lights are intended for what you would think. A means of giving traffic a heads up as to which direction to pass. You are right that there are many places that dont use it for some reason or another. The reflective chevrons are a safety feature especially at night. Granted trucks have emergency lighing, but having the highly reflective chevrons on the back (and some rigs have the front bumper) allows for traffic comng from the rear of the unit to better see it. Usually the back of the truck isn't as well lit as the front. Chevrons have also become an NFPA standard...and i believe the directional lights have too. Im not 100% on that.

I have a droid x. I'm gonna check a few things to see if it fixes. Although I'm happy to hear an app is in development. My issue is just with the phone internet browser not defaulting to the mobile version of the site. Yet it does fine with all others.

Will there be a mobile version for smart phones like the previous forum had? Unless it has already been done and my phone is stupid as always lol.

Profile pic is gone.....and I see no way or option of re-adding it. Unless some website features changed that I just over looked or haven't read about, if so please correct me. I did have a profile pic at one point.....it is no where to be found. And I am also experiencing some of the same issues the previous replies have had.

Been meaning to get some pictures up of our newest apparatus. The engine pics are a couple months old from when we were doing our acceptance testing. We have since added chrome hub caps to the truck. The Marine 1 and Unit 2 pics were from today, weather was beautiful so we took the boat out to get her runnin since she hasn't seen the water in a while lol. Hope ya'll enjoy. Just got a new Expedition in to replace our old med truck. Bout to have it Striped, Lights and Radios installed, should have pics of it in a few weeks.

I'm not really a fan of the Dash CF. It's a neat idea but all in all I don't exactly see a need to have that much space in the front of the cab. I'd prefer the space in the back. But like you said, it probably meets some agency needs. All depends on what you want. My Vol. Dept will hopefully be ordering a couple more Pierce trucks later this year...if not them then Rosenbauer.

Also I believe the version with the Round Headlights will have a feature for the angel eye style LED running lights around the headlight itself. Kinda flashy but I dig it lol

Oh yeah i know what you mean. the Commander 3000 I believe it was called. Yeah this chassis is MUCH MUCH better. The main website should be updated next week with full info on the new features. It's good to know they are moving forward with a chassis like this which can help them be less dependant on the Spartan chassis. Not that I really have a problem with spartan. But most manufactures use them and having a 1st party chassis can really help differentiate them from others much like pierce with the velocity and e-one with the Cyclone I believe it is.

Note: I do not work for nor am trying to advertise for Rosenbauer. Today Rosenbauer America unveiled their first 1st party chassis, the Commander. I this it looks great, some nice variations for the headlights, and cab features are very cool. 2 of my personal fav manufacturers are Pierce and Rosenbauer. My department has Spec'd for both. I can honestly be happy with either company. We currently have 2 Generals that we had bought just as Rosenbauer had bought out General. Lots of new features with the new chassis, including an HVAC system that has vents in the dash and at the feet along with the ceiling. (but does not move all the way to the windsheild) A single one piece windsheild (like Pierce Velocity). The engine has been moved down 4" and back 4" to allow for more dash options and comfort. There's alot more. For a look at the new Chassis check out the Rosenbauer Facebook, there's not much at the moment but I'm pretty sure over the rest of the day and week there will be plenty more along with more info. Rosenbauer Facebook

I currently work for Acadian Ambulance. We've been changing out all our MiniMod (van chassis boxes) with the Mercedez Sprinter with the exception of our CCT trucks, which will remain on Frazer Chevy 4500 Duramax. I hate the sprinters. There's hardly any work room....granted AEV has since made some adjustments to make more "room". It really hasn't changed much. Most the employees are torn between them. bout 50/50 in liking them or hating them. The only thing I like about the Sprinters is the head room in the cab, the ability to stand up in the back and the A/C is phenomenal. Other than that, using them as an ALS emergency unit is a pain, with all our ALS gear, a patient, the paramedic and possible riders to assist, it get VERY crowded in the back. I much rather have a Frazer / Wheeled Coach unit with plenty more room. I work the South East Texas Region. Currently our truck is a Frazer only until remount....at which point it will be shipped to Dallas or Houston (new markets) for CCT and we'll get a Sprinter.

The Spartan Furion chassis. Not too shabby...great for a smaller lighter duty chassis. Not exactly my cup of tea but you spec to what you need. Rosenbauer offers this chassis also. Hope it serves you well.

Yeah Bath Salt calls are numerous now. And no real way to treat it at the moment. I've had some bad calls for bath salt patients. I've had some where they aren't going berzerk, but more in complete wonderment of everything around them while extremely hyper. Worst part is you never know what stage your gonna catch them on....since the high from bath salts lasts soooo long. Are you gonna get there in the first few hours of the high? or the 4th day of the high? This stuff is crazy. One of our crews got a call out to 2 unresponsive teens.....they ended up on a scene of a party with about 25 teens completely blitzed out on bath salts.....not something you wanna be in the middle of.

This isn't a bash towards the company I work for, but more of a curiosity to others opinions. I've been working for Acadian Ambulance (Part of the overal Acadian Companies) for almost 2 years. I previously worked for StatCare EMS for about a month prior to being bought out. And I believe about 3-6 months prior to StatCare they aquired Priority One, another local service in my area. Then again just after a year they aquired Central Texas EMS and here just the other week, NorthStar (which based in Humble and parts of Dallas). Most of the buyouts result in Acadian having Sole Providership of said area. This is a topic of discussion ALOT at our company both on the truck, and on the company's Intranet. Alot of employees are happy about it due to us being an ESOP company, but others tend to wonder if the growth is too fast. I can see many advantages, one being working for a company you know isn't going anywhere anytime soon and if you work it right you can get a damn good retirement (some guys are 10-15 years in with retirement looking in the VERY comfortable millions). Others being that in a company this big you feel like a number....expendable and replaceable. But in that aspect I feel with the rapid growth the company falls behind on alot of innovation. Acadian being a Louisian based company has spread RAPIDLY in Texas in the last 6 years but hasn't done much to catch up. Prime example is most of our reports are still on paper. We have to right the report then transfer all of it to computer either from the trucks (permenantly mounted) MDT, or at the station after shift (mostly all of the company does street corner posting for the whole shift, no station posting.) And others being is protocols that in NUMEROUS conversations with Paramedics from other companies say our protocols are outdated and weak. Acadian had no protocols for Intermediates till last year after buying out StatCare (5 years after entering Texas, granted I can't remember if Louisiana recognizes EMT-I or not.) which required the Intermediates to operate at basic level. Granted we supposedly have had a great increase in Cardiac Arrest saves from around 14% to 27% due to our newly refined CPR-HD which I can say does work pretty well from experience, and some other protocol changes this year have added some other nice bits, (metoprolol). Just like anyone anywhere I have days where I wanna scream in rage, and I have days where I'm having a great time at work. I have days where I wanna question everything, and days where it all makes sense. So I ask how some of you feel. Do you feel Acadian is growing too fast and needs to slow down, catch up then move forward or whatever else you may think. Personally I wish they'd slow down some and use some budget to get everything caught up.

I'm not exactly sure what they make at Acadian, where I work. I was on a CCT truck up until about a month ago. I had asked my partner if his Critical Care bumped up his pay. He said no.....but then again it's more than likely a company by company basis. At Acadian the CCEMT-P's get extra money for every CCT they do. I think its around 45 dollars per transport. (note Acadian only uses CCT protocols on transfers, I:E - Hospital to Hospital and not as an in field emergency intervention use). But they don't see that money till about the end of every quarter. The paramedics at Acadian I Believe average around $17-$20 an hour with no bump in pay for extra certs. I'm surprised they don't have any protocols set for Critical Care usage in the field though, then again they don't really skills test any new employees either (EMT-B - EMT-P). I feel for working at a company so incredibly large in the world of EMS that they would have more progressive protocols.....then again I figured we'd be working on a paperless system too....but that is still "In the works" (probably only cause central texas area is telling them they have to lol)

I've always thought ATCEMS has some of the best looking units around. Not a fan of yellow but the blue and yellow mix so well.

1st picture is Bridge City Vol. Fire & Rescue Brush 5. Same picture featured.....figured I'd add it just cause It's one I have at the moment, took it the other day out of boredom . The next set of pictures is BCFR's new Marine 1. 1st few are from delivery day. All pictures from my Droid X. It's a custom built aluminum boat with twin 150's counter rotating, a radar / sonar system. 2 remote spot lights. and 4 roof vent fans. We just got it in a few months ago. Great boat. It was built by Lobell's Custom Boats in Louisiana. It's the first boat they've ever built for an emergency service. It also has two 6 foot wide doors on each side that drop down for a dive / rescue platform. From order to delivery took about 6-8 weeks. We also just got in a Ford f-450 that will be used mainly for towing the boat. It was delivered yesterday. As soon as we get the striping done and emergency lighting installed I'll have pictures for it.