Survey Report for Ambulance Patient Compartment Design

National Institute of Standards and Technology conducted a nationwide survey (Office of Management and Budget, Control No. 1090-0007) of emergency medical services (EMS) professionals in December 2011. The objective of the survey was to aid in the development of design standards for the patient compartment in ambulances and to measure customer satisfaction with current design standards. A total of 2537 responses were collected and provided insight into the EMS work environment such as seating, occupancy, ergonomics, restraint systems, and communications. The survey provides information regarding the EMS professional’s ability to provide care to an injured patient in the patient compartment of ambulances with the current reach and usage of equipment and supplies. This report summarizes the data collected from the survey responses. The survey supports a larger effort to develop standards to address performance and safety issues associated with the design of patient compartments in EMS vehicles (i.e., ambulances).