cityofboston.gov - Official Web Site of the City of Boston - Thomas M. Menino, Mayor

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Fleet Services

In addition to transport ambulances, Boston EMS maintains a wide variety of specialty vehicles and apparatus which are capable of supporting the City in any emergency. Some of these units are discussed below.

ALS and BLS Ambulances Boston EMS ambulances are state-of-the-art vehicles capable of meeting the dynamic emergency medical demands of a major metropolitan area like Boston and the variable environmental challenges of the New England climate. All ambulances are outfitted with the most advanced pre-hospital care equipment and are generally staffed by two field providers. Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances are staffed by two EMTs, while Advance Life Support (ALS) ambulances are staffed by two Paramedics.
Supervisor Vehicles Field Supervisors and Shift Commanders are on duty 24-hours a day and respond to many emergencies to assist ambulance crews, resolve problems, or take command of major incidents. Most supervisor vehicles are SUVs which contain the medical supplies necessary to begin treatment of patients before ambulance transport crews arrive.
Special Operations Units The Special Operations Division maintains a number of units capable of responding with special equipment when necessary. These include units that carry equipment for mass casualty events, power generation, and other logistical support supplies for a variety of emergencies.
EMS Bicycles EMS bike units are able to rapidly maneuver through congested areas and crowds, reaching patients faster and delivering initial care more rapidly than would be possible with traditional ambulances alone. These specially equipped mountain bikes carry an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) and a range of medical supplies, as well as equipment, allowing EMTs and Paramedics to begin life saving treatments as soon as they reach the patient.
EMS All-Terrain Vehicles Like EMS bike units, EMS all-terrain vehicles are often deployed to special events throughout the city and can access areas that are difficult to reach by ambulance. These units also have the capacity to transport patients on a stretcher and then rendezvous with an ambulance to transfer the patient for transport to a hospital.
Other Support Vehicles Boston EMS maintains a number of support vehicles which are used to transport emergency medical supplies, special events equipment, disaster management materials and fulfill a variety of other needs.