The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) has partnered with the Mississippi State Department of Education, individual school districts and several County Emergency Management Agencies in a new program called “AmbuBus” to help provide mass patient evacuations in the event of a public health emergency such as a hurricane.
“Many lessons were learned from previous hurricanes, one of these being the additional need for medical transportation to evacuate non-ambulatory individuals,” said Jim Craig, Director of the MSDH Office of Health Protection. “These new kits offer Mississippi an economical solution in addressing this need. Converting buses into medical transportation during disasters offers emergency responders an added resource to effectively and efficiently evacuate a large number of the special needs population at once and in as little time as possible.”
Utilizing a quick installation kit, local school districts can convert a bus into ambulance style transportation with room for up to18 stretchers, medical equipment, and a team of up to eight medical personnel. In the event of an emergency, the Mississippi Department of Education’s Transportation Department will provide buses for conversion as well as drivers. Currently, kits are located in the Jackson, Hattiesburg, Grenada, Lauderdale, Pearl and Rankin school districts. The AmbuBus program will soon expand to Harrison, Hancock and Covington counties. AmbuBuses can be dispatched anywhere they’re needed within the space of a few hours.
The AmbuBus conversion kits are a product of First Line Technology, LLC, of Chantilly, VA. They were purchased by MSDH through federal grant funds.
About First Line Technology, LLC. Founded in 2003, First Line Technology, LLC is a small business supplier of Out of the Box Solutions for first responders and the military. As a sole-source Total Solution provider for emergency first response equipment, First Line works directly with manufacturers and subject matter experts to provide current solutions for emergency response missions. First Line has established itself as a leader in new product development and deployment with innovative and simple solutions. First Line focuses on emergency response missions, and prides itself on creating high-quality products that are comfortable, effective, and safe for use in hazardous environments.
Media Contact: Mississippi Office of Communications Phone: 601-576-7667