Speculative Changes: KKK-A-1822F and NFPA to Cross Paths
Since the latest Revision F of the federal specification for ambulances was published, two change notices have been published. The most recent changes are relatively minor, says John McDonald, an automotive commodity specialist with the General Services Administration in Washington, DC—just a few wording changes to clean up some odds and ends.
"One of the changes is in reference to ambulance construction methods that prohibited the Dodge Sprinter from qualifying," he says. "The references were to roof line measurements, but the Sprinter doesn't have a roof line, so we've modified the language so the Sprinter can qualify, as long as it meets other requirements." (For more information on the Sprinter, see the article on Acadian Ambulance on page 69.)
Following are just a few of the other areas affected in the change notices, which form a part of Federal Standard KKK-A-1822F, dated August 2008:
- Cab compartment driver and passenger seat
- Ventilation criteria
- Oxygen, main supply and installation; oxygen pressure regulator
- Initial testing and inspections required for certification
- Electromagnetic radiation and suppression
- Primary patient suction aspiration.
For more detailed information on the standards or answers to technical questions, contact McDonald at jmcdonald@gsa.gov.
One significant new development that will affect the ambulance industry is that the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which has created standards for fire apparatus and public safety since 1896, has decided for the first time to develop design standards for ambulances. When NFPA notified national EMS organizations of its plans last fall and invited feedback, it received dozens of comments from both organizations and individuals, who were then invited to submit applications to be considered for membership on the new NFPA Committee on Ambulances. NFPA expects it will take three to four years for a 30-member committee to create the new standards, which would then take the place of the current KKK standard for purchasing ambulances.
"We're not at all opposed to the plan," says McDonald. "GSA doesn't have the resources to do a consensus standard. I just write out the requirements based on input from users, manufacturers and the government's needs. So if they come up with a consensus standard that meets our needs, we would probably adopt it. We used to write our own fire truck standards, but when NFPA came up with a standard, we decided to use theirs instead, and a similar thing could happen with ambulances."
However, some concerns have been expressed by the American Ambulance Association, ambulance manufacturers and the AAA Professional Standards and Research Committee, all of whom point out that fire department and private ambulance services' needs are not the same: Fire services use ambulances primarily for scene response and emergency transport; private services also use them for interfacility transport, including critical care and neonatal transports. AAA also believes more EMS safety research is needed before any design changes are considered, and is concerned that a new design standard might result in more expensive vehicles.
NFPA is hoping to hold its first committee meeting in May or June, and members of the private ambulance sector are encouraged to get involved. Applications and resumes to be considered for membership on the new NFPA Committee on Ambulances were due at the end of January, and candidates will be selected in time for the spring meeting. For more information or to comment on the proposed standards, visit: www.nfpa.org/aboutthecodes/list_of_codes_and_standards.asp, search for each standard by number and then click on "Download the report of proposals" under "Revision cycle."
