Carnation Designs support Midlands Air Ambulance new rapid response vehicles

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity has recently unveiled three new rapid response vehicles to support the lifesaving organisation’s operations across the region.

As the charity covers the largest air ambulance operating area in England, it is imperative the expert aircrew can rely on the very best vehicles to swiftly reach, and subsequently treat those in critical need of pre-hospital care.

The charity took delivery of a fleet of three BMW X5 rapid response vehicles (RRVs) which were all fitted with the ‘genisys XVI’ control system from Carnation Designs. The three Authority specification BMW X5 vehicles are situated at the organisation’s three airbases – RAF Cosford in Shropshire, Tatenhill airfield in Staffordshire, and Strensham Services on the M5 in Worcestershire. Already in action, the new cars are deployed if a helicopter is grounded, for example during the hours of darkness or a period of particularly bad weather.

On average five per cent of incidents Midlands Air Ambulance attends are via the RRVs, enabling the aircrew to continue to offer early medical intervention and save lives when the aircraft is not an option.

Becky Steele, air operations manager for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, highlights the decision to invest in the BMW X5 series model: “The X5 is a tried and tested rapid response vehicle for the emergency services. Its large interior is perfect for a bespoke medical equipment fit out, while the model’s advanced capability means it is a reliable asset, ensuring our clinicians tend to incidents swiftly and safely.”

To take full advantage of the space and maximise clinician’s time efficiency at the incident scene, a great deal of research went into the medical fit-out of the BMWs, with the charity’s health partner, West Midlands Ambulance Service. Duplicating the medical kit on the helicopters, the BMWs are ready for action at a moment’s notice. Each RRV carries a range of kit including; two response bags, a Zoll cardiac monitor, suction and ventilation equipment, leg splints, oxygen, burns packs, scene lighting and a safe for storing drugs in transit. Battery health is crucial to maintain the operating performance of these mission-critical vehicles and so genisys was fitted to intelligently monitor battery voltage and preserve power. The systems were bespoke-programmed by Carnation’s engineers for MAA and offer numerous automated convenience functions along with the informative genisys ‘Voice Alert’ feature.

Becky continues: “Our medical crews are trained to the highest standard and these high-tech vehicles complement our operations perfectly. Thanks to their capability and the kit on board, they are already enabling us to save even more lives across the region.”

Richard Yates, Head of Carnation Designs, added: ““We are very pleased to have played a part in the conversion of these X5 response vehicles for the MAA, working in conjunction with WMAS. The genisys systems we provided manage the vehicles’ conversion electronics and have data logging integration with their mobile PCs. These are very high spec cars, which look fantastic alongside the aircraft, and we are proud to have our kit on-board.”

The charity’s new RRVs were part-funded by corporate partner, M6toll, and a grant giving organisation, and have been supported by the following; West Midlands Ambulance Service, BMW Group, Carnation Designs, Design, Woodway Engineering, Wilker Vehicle Conversions, VUE CCTV, Mansfield Group, Body Repair Centre and Tarrafix.