State's Ambulance Inspection Program Comes Under Scrutiny

Ten years ago, the lives of an ambulance crew in central Wisconsin were changed forever when a balding tire caused their vehicle to lose traction on a wet highway, skid across the median and roll over.

In the resulting accident, the patient being transported died and the crew was injured, none more so than Matt Deicher of Mosinee.

“I flew and hit my face onto the back doors of the ambulance,” Deicher told WISN 12 News.

Deicher was paralyzed. He believes the July 2003 accident could have been prevented "very, very easily."

Just two days earlier, the lone state ambulance inspector gave the Mosinee Fire Department 10 days to replace balding tires on the vehicle. The crew was unaware of the report before the run.

A decade later, not much has changed in the state’s ambulance inspection program. There is still one inspector who travels the entire state, and each ambulance in Wisconsin — those owned by municipal fire departments and those run by private companies — is inspected every other year.

From WISN 12 News: Paralyzed EMT Says Nothing Has Changed

Patch and our media partners at WISN 12 News investigated the state program, reviewing dozens of ambulance inspection reports for 2011 and 2012 for area fire departments. While some concerns were raised about the state inspection program, for the most part, the review found no problems with the vehicles.

In Menomonee Falls, for example, the Fire Department’s ambulances were inspected in June 2011 and one minor violation was found with a single ambulance's horn, and that problem was promptly repaired. 

In a survey sent to area fire chiefs, Falls Fire Chief Jeffrey Hevey indicated that he believes there's room to improve the state's inspection program. However, in a follow-up interview, he said the burden for routine checks and maintenance falls upon the individual departments and service providers. 

“The state has decided that that’s where they want to go with the inspection program, but I have my own maintenance crew here,” Hevey said. “Ultimately, we are responsible every day to make sure our vehicles are functional.”

Others See Need For Improvement

The state ambulance inspection program has come under fire from some, who believe that more should be done to ensure they are safe for both patients and the personnel who transport them.

Those who criticize the current inspection program, run by the Wisconsin State Patrol, say the state needs more than one inspector and the vehicles should be inspected more than every other year. While most area fire officials were satisfied with the job the state was doing, others said the inspections are not as comprehensive as they should be.

“There should be a more thorough inspection of the body, chassis and powertrain,” Jeffrey Henningfeld, battalion chief for the Caledonia Fire Department, told Patch. “All mechanicals should be subject to a thorough evaluation against measurable standards.”

When asked if the state inspection program was sufficient, Hevey said: “No.”

“They need more inspectors who not only understand the emergency medical equipment, but they understand the vehicle chassis (brakes, suspension, shocks, tires and electrical),” Hevey stated in the survey.

Dee Evans, who is the EMS director in the city of Berlin and was the state inspector from 2001 to 2003, said the job is “taxing” and just too much for one person.

Evans told Patch that rather than having a single statewide inspector, Wisconsin should use the five geographic districts that are now within the State Patrol, and have three or four part-time inspectors per region.

“Then you’re saving the state on the cost of hotels and lodging,” said Evans. “In the urban districts you may have more people, in the rural districts you would have less.”

Evans also believes inspections should take place annually, which could happen with a more regionalized approach, he said. 

State Inspector Says System is ‘Working Rather Well’

Paul Schilling is the state’s lone inspector. Every other year, he performs a half-day, 160-point inspection on every ambulance service provider’s fleet. He puts in serious travel time across the Badger State, and checks both the mechanical and medical equipment on each vehicle.

He told WISN 12 News’ Kent Wainscott that the inspection program is working, and that people shouldn’t be worried that the same guy who kicks the tires is also the one who checks the defibrillators.

“I don't think it should be a concern. I've been doing it for seven years and the process has been great,” Schilling said. “It’s been working rather well.”

A Glance at Falls' Ambulance Fleet 

The fire and maintenance departments in Menomonee Falls share a database of project requests for instantaneous communication. The village logs a 10-year minimum lifespan for ambulances, and considers each vehicle over ten years old when discussing the annual budget. 

Hevey has an ambulance with 85,000 miles on it and is out past its 10-year benchmark. However, it usually takes a few budget cycles before a replacement are purchased, Hevey said. The older vehicle is also in reserve and isn’t the primary vehicle for every call. 

“If the brakes are fine, suspension, pumps, are all working then we just take it a year at a time," Hevey said. 

Along with an aging fleet, Hevey’s maintenance budget has also been increased over the past few years to keep funds open for routine maintenance.

The annual fleet maintenance budget in Falls is $40,000, Hevey said. The fleet of four ambulances average six years of service, and an average of 48,000 miles. The fire department is currently looking to replace its ambulance from 2000, which has been under consideration for two years. 

The Village Board recently approved a six-figure price tag for — and has since purchased — a new fire apparatus for the department.  

Is Age, Mileage an Issue?

Patch surveyed 12 fire departments in the metro Milwaukee area and found that seven of them are operating ambulances that have more than 80,000 miles on them. Three departments — Wauwatosa, Brookfield and Greenfield — have ambulances in their fleet with more than 100,000 miles on them. And at least five of the departments are still running ambulances manufactured the 1990s.

Interactive: Compare Falls' ambulances to nearby cities

The lifespan for a typical ambulance is three to five years in the “frontline,” and another two to three years in reserve, said Chad Brown, vice president of sales and marketing at Braun Industries, a leading manufacturer of ambulances. For Braun ambulances, the lifespan is double that, he added, assuming the vehicles have been properly configured for the department using them.

But, Brown said, mileage doesn’t paint a true picture of the wear and tear on an ambulance because ambulances have a lot of “hard braking” and “high idling,” which takes a toll on the engine.

“You have to look at engine hours with cumulative miles to get a truer picture of the wear and tear, and lifespan of an ambulance,” Brown said.

Patch editors Heather Asiyanbi and Lyssa Beyer contributed to this report.