Vehicles

Paramedic Response Unit

The Paramedic Response Unit (PRU) provides a rapid first response capability for people in Thunder Bay and the surrounding area. Staffed 24 hours a day by a paramedic, the PRU is utilized when all paramedics are tied up with other calls, or when there may be a prolonged response time for a paramedic crew. While the vehicle is not designed for transporting patients, it does allow a paramedic to be at the patient's side quickly so that emergency medical care can be provided.

Ambulance

Superior North EMS paramedics operate 36 ambulances. In recent years, modular type of vehicles have been purchased to facilitate performing advanced skills in the patient compartment. These modular boxes are mounted on a Ford or Chevy chassis and in time can be remounted to reduce costs if and when the chassis has reached its life expectancy. All vehicles are certified to the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care vehicle standards. They are purchased via Demers Ambulance in Beloeil, Quebec or Crestline in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Each year in the District of Thunder Bay our fleet of ambulances travel more than 666,000 kilometres in respond to service requests.

Ambulances are designed to be conspicuous. They have warning signals (lights and sirens) and are painted so that they are easily seen. SNEMS ambulances have a new paint scheme which makes them more visible to other drivers. Each new ambulance commissioned by SNEMS will have the new paint scheme.

Emergency Support

The Emergency Support Unit (ESU) is a command post and supply vehicle used to support paramedics and other first responders during a major incident. The senior duty officer, normally a deputy chief would control EMS operations from the ESU. It is also equipped with the extra supplies that would be required to provide patient care to many injured people at a major incident while they wait for ambulances for transport to the hospital. ESU's are posted in Thunder Bay, Marathon, and Geraldton.