Lifespan Of An FDNY Ambulance?

[x635 4,066]

What's the typical lifespan of an FDNY ambulance?

Do they ever remount/refurb onto a new chasis?

[ny10570 745]

In theory its 5 years of frontline service and 5 more as a spare. After the recent surge in new vehicles all the 97s should be retired and all of the frontline buses should be under 5 years. The only remounts are from damaged vehicles. They'll swap out engines and transmissions but once the chassis is worn out the box goes with it. After 10 years there really isn't much service life left in our boxes

Edited April 26, 2009 by ny10570

[LED138 10]

I may miss a lot but what happens to them after they get retired. I never see any auctions for them.

-Steve

[JBJ1202 27]

I still have '97 buses at my station. They are still in circulation... but are finally on the way out. I will not miss those old buses one bit.

[ny10570 745]

I still love me a '97 once in a while. Great turning radius, vent windows, keyless ignition (on the good ones), and auto eject wheels. My back however will not miss them.

[wcr20 17]

auto-eject wheels?

[ny10570 745]

yeah, on occasion you think you feel an odd bump in a turn and then as you start to realize there's a shimmy in rear you'll notice two wheels shoot down the street in front of you while you suddenly grind to a stop. In every incident I was either in or there for they never found anything wrong with the trucks or wheels.

[joetnymedic 43]

can't be any worse than some of the old CMTI rigs - lol

[Guest Loud412]

Station 8 is still using 3 '97's as spares. 3 of the front line ALS trucks are 08 two of which are the new HAZ-TAC trucks, one is an 06, and one is an 04. One of the frontline BLS trucks is and 06, three are 05, and two are 04. It was pretty sad a couple of months ago. I was extra and the Lieutenant had me take one of the 97's to MEU in Queens to have the onboard oxegen line replaced, and in the bay next to the one my truck was in was a brand new 09 ambulance being preped for delivery to the feild. My two bigest complaints about the 97's are the unfourtunate position of the sideview mirrors directly in line with where you want to be looking for cars while clearing an intersection, and the 2 man lift strecher, that thing is downright dangerous to both the patient and to the EMS provider forced to lift these rediculous things.