Chantilly, VA – The North Dakota State Department of Health is bolstering natural disaster preparedness with the purchase of the AmbuBus® (Bus Stretcher Conversion Kits). The 2009 Red River Flood crested just above 40 feet in Fargo, N.D. and increased disaster awareness around the state and the nation.

“This is another statewide department of health that sees the benefits of deploying and keeping AmbuBus Kits on hand,” explained First Line Technology President Amit Kapoor. “The North Dakota Department of Health understands that disasters don’t always occur only in disaster-prone areas like the Gulf states. The AmbuBus is a proven effective product that allows for expansion of any state or locality’s mass evacuation capabilities.”

Using national grant monies, the North Dakota Department of Health purchased two AmbuBus Kits for litter conversion and five customized AmbuBus Kits for wheelchair conversion. In cases of extreme weather or other disasters, the AmbuBus Kit can be used to quickly convert vehicles of opportunity (like school or metro buses) into non-ambulatory transport vehicles for special needs populations.

“The evacuation of hospitals and other medical facilities is an integral part of every good emergency preparedness and response plan,” said Kapoor. “The people of North Dakota were tested in 2009 during the Fargo-Morehead flooding and have chosen to update their plan by using the AmbuBus, which will substantially improve their capacity for mass casualty evacuation.”

The AmbuBus enables the Department of Health to safely and efficiently evacuate hospitals, medical facilities, and nursing homes. Once evacuation is complete, the retrofitted vehicles can be converted back into their normal use capability and the AmbuBus Kits can be warehoused for future uses.

Other possible AmbuBus configurations include the No-Notice (Permanent) configuration which is a permanently installed AmbuBus Kit that allows a mass transit vehicle to be converted into a turnkey mass casualty transport system for earthquakes and other no-notice disasters and the Surge (Free-Standing) configuration which enables efficient use of limited floor space during staging and sheltering operations.

AmbuBus Bus-Stretcher Conversion Kit The AmbuBus Bus-Stretcher Conversion Kit from First Line Technology is an effective and efficient solution for mass evacuation and transport of special needs patients, casualties and others who require non-ambulatory transport. The kit quickly and easily retrofits vehicles of opportunity into mass casualty transport vehicles. Organized into one palletized kit, an existing passenger bus can be transformed into an ambulance bus capable of carrying up to 18 stretchers plus medical staff and equipment.

About First Line Technology First Line Technology, LLC supplies Out of the Box Solutions to first responders and the military.  Since 2003, First Line has established itself as a leader in new product development and distribution with innovative yet simple solutions. First Line prides itself on creating high-quality products that are comfortable, effective, and safe for use in an All-Hazards response.

For more information, contact: Amit Kapoor Phone: (703) 955-7510, ext. 121

Jennie Tal Williams Phone: (703) 955-7510, ext. 127 Email: pr@firstlinetech.com Website: www.firstlinetech.com and www.ambubus.com