Mini hospitals on wheels

New ambulance equipment transforms emergency care
A woman was in her car in at a Windsor intersection when she was hit at a low speed by another vehicle, her airbag deployed, and soon, an ambulance from Bell’s Ambulance Service was on the scene. A Mobile Data Terminal gave a paramedic and EMT on the ambulance information on the patient enroute. Firefighters and ambulance staff used a gurney to get her from her car into their ambulance, and the paramedic used a monitor to check if she was stable. Without all that new technology, an ambulance ride would be a very different story for residents of Windsor, Healdsburg and Geyserville.
Within the last two years, the addition of new, top-of-the-line monitors, gurneys and Mobile Data Terminals to Bell’s ambulances has transformed ambulance care in the community. Bell’s Ambulance Service caters to Healdsburg, Windsor and Geyserville, although they also help out other areas of the community when needed. Siblings Pamela Bell Simmons and Wayne Bell currently own the service that their parents started in 1956.
“There’s everything in there (the ambulances) you can think of, except for sutures and things like that, which we can’t do. As far as chemicals and equipment, we’ve got everything. It’s really impressive,” Wayne said.
“Our equipment we buy is generally stimulated by the need of our area related to the hospital and our patients, and the people we work with,” Pamela said.
The service has four ambulances. Two are in service, and stationed in Healdsburg and Windsor. Both ambulances are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week with Advanced Life Support paramedics. The third ambulance acts as a backup, and is an Advanced Life Support ambulance along with the two ambulances in service. The fourth ambulance is a Basic Life Support ambulance, mostly used at events.
The ambulances that are in service have premium equipment; Zoll monitors, Stryer gurneys and two Mobile Data Terminals.
“What stimulated the upgrades was the donation of the ambulance in 2012 by the Dry Creek Rancheria Board of Pomo Indians and the entertainment authority at the casino. It replaced a much older piece of equipment and so, with that donation, it stabilized us to a point,” Pamela Bell said.
The recession hit the small, family owned and operated business hard. Ambulance maintenance had been high because of the age of the equipment, so with the donation, the Bells were given the boost they needed to get upgraded equipment for the community they care about so much.
Following the ambulance donation, the Bells were able to buy three Zoll X Series monitor/defibrillators for their main ambulances, also in 2012. These monitors are very lightweight, compact, equipped and durable. They are also the first monitors to integrate WiFi, Bluetooth and USB capabilities. Bell’s was the first ambulance service to have Zoll monitors in the county, Wayne said.
The Bells bought five new Stryker gurneys in 2013. These elite gurneys can carry up to 700 pounds and are exceptionally lightweight and versatile.
Bell’s also put in two new Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs) this year. An MDT is a computerized device that communicates with a central dispatch office. They also display mapping and information.
“I think with the Mobile Data Terminals, it’s faster and easier for the personnel in the ambulance; they get a lot more detailed information about the patient, circumstances or the location. It makes it so it’s a faster response, and it’s more efficient,” Pamela said.
“Our focus is what do we need, what do the patients need, what’s going to make everything easier, how do we fund it and longevity,” Pamela said.
Steve Busher, a paramedic at Bell’s, said the service gets an average of 7.8 calls a day between the two ambulances.
Both the Bells and their employees emphasized that the service has an “old school” way of business. The service operates out of two locations, houses that are staffed with 24-hour employees. The first location is on Powell Avenue in Healdsburg, and is the home that the Bells grew up in. The other office is located on Starr Road in Windsor.
Bell’s Ambulance Service also participates in the Every 15 Minutes program around the county.
Pamela said that, as far as how have the upgrades have affected their service, “They help with cardiac issues, where patients can be transported, the gurneys are more comfortable and there are a couple of options with the gurneys that make it quicker and easier to deal with patients.”
“People depend on us,” Wayne said. “And we depend on their support too, and that’s why we’re still here,” Pamela added.