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Notes on 9/11

It was about 8:00 AM in Houston when I first realized there may be something bad happening in New York. Contributors to a financial website I followed were chatting about some sort of explosion at the north tower of the World Trade Center. The source of the blast was unknown at that point. I walked back to the customer waiting room in our service center to find any news coverage on the television. Pete Morin, at the time the Director of West Harris County EMS, was also there. We watched the unfolding horror in silence. I was sick to my stomach. Much of the rest of the day was a blur, but I do vividly remember being at home later, holding my daughter, one year old at the time, watching the news, and wondering just how bad things might actually get. As the shock gave way to sadness, it became unrelentingly evident. Plenty of people and sites have compiled timelines of the events. There are, no doubt, numerous posts in your social media feeds with links to news footage or audio of Flight 93 and the extraordinary acts of courage carried out by those passengers, so there’s no reason to try and recap all of that here. When I visited the Memorial and Museum earlier this year most of those memories came flooding back. It is a somber and poignant reminder of not only the destruction and horror, but also of the collective heroism carried out by people in all walks of life, some clinging to survival, some risking all so that others might survive. First and foremost among those were the first responders of FDNY,  NYPD, and the surrounding agencies that rushed headlong into an apocalyptic disaster with virtually no idea what was going on.  We cannot ever completely express our appreciation and gratitude for the work that you, our friends and family in the first responder community do every day to protect and serve your own communities. We certainly never take it for granted. Without you, many among us would be utterly lost in times of crisis.  Thank you.

Fleet Size Matters

Getting your fleet right-sized is a key consideration for any EMS leader. Learn more about what factors are important to stay ahead of the curve.

Top Ambulance Procurement FAQs

Ambulance procurement can be challenging for even the most seasoned administrator. The following FAQs will help as you prepare for your next EMS vehicle. From financing to grants to cooperative purchasing requirements, Frazer has the answers you need. Cooperative Purchasing or Competitive Bid? Bid requirements vary greatly from state to state, and even among regional or local authorities. In Texas, for example, most items over $50,000.00 must meet state bid requirements. In Louisiana, however, that figure drops $25,000.00, and in other states the rules may only apply to construction projects. A quick web search for your home state’s municipal buying requirements should provide the relevant information. Cooperative Purchasing (Yes! We’re on HGAC and BuyBoard!) Cooperative purchasing can be as simple as partnering with another municipality working on a competitive bid and buying your own vehicle with the same set of specs. Or, numerous government procurement services around the country allow for the same thing without the hassle or outcome uncertainty associated with the bid process. These entities improve the process for end users by reducing the administrative and advertising fees for a competitive bid and by opening up the number of available products. They are designed to meet most state and local purchasing rules. A vast majority of our customers have found this a huge improvement to the normal ambulance procurement process. Cooperative purchasing entities like Houston based, HGAC, evaluate products either through “competitive bid (IFB) or competitive proposal (RFP) process.” They offer the end user the pricing power of a national group of buyers as well as a thorough vetting of accepted vendors. As with competitive bidding, rules will vary per location, but most states have some form of cooperative purchasing statute. Click here to see how your state handles cooperative buying. Frazer is an authorized vendor through HGAC. We also work with BuyBoard, a purchasing cooperative run by the Texas School Board. Our EMS vehicles are available for purchase on both of these sites. Many of our customers have found cooperative buying a major improvement in the ambulance procurement process. It allows them to meet state requirements while ensuring they don’t end up with an unwanted vehicle. Call one of our sales team at 888-372-9371 to find out more. The Bid Process Here is a list of just some of the tasks you’ll confront when conducting a public competitive bid. Click here to see the current Texas statute defining purchasing requirements. Write your own vehicle specs Review specs with committee Advertise time and place of bid once a week for at least two weeks prior to award date Pre-bid conference Respond to any bid questions Evaluate bids Award bid Verify product received meets specs The municipal bid process requires a significant amount of time and administrative effort. And while it can be very effective when vendors are offering apples to apples products, i.e. multiple Ford dealers bidding on an F-150 truck, things get a lot trickier as the specifications get more complicated. Ambulance and fire apparatus are notoriously complex, and the differences in specifications, construction methods, and quality among builders are vast. Adding to the mix are purchasing agents or local attorneys who may not have experience with the product in question. Their involvement in the process may lead to unexpected buying outcomes. Award Requirements The award process is usually where things get more complicated. In Texas, for example, many people think a bid must be awarded to the lowest priced bid. This is actually inaccurate. Per Local Government Code 252.043: (a)  If the competitive sealed bidding requirement applies to the contract for goods or services, the contract must be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder or to the bidder who provides goods or services at the best value for the municipality. Texas Local Government Code Chapter 252 252.043 (b) goes on to define the ways you may evaluate “best value” as it pertains to your locale. These include things like “quality”, “reputation”, and “bidder’s past relationship with the municipality” to name a few. If you are considering running a competitive bid, it’s a good idea to make sure everyone on the decision team is on the same page when it comes time to award the bid. You should also consider familiarizing yourself with your own state requirements at the outset. Do You Know of Available Grants? Many of our customers have had success going the grant route, but it definitely takes time and effort to make that happen. There are some great resources on the web to help start you down that path. There are numerous grants available to help absorb some of the rising costs affecting critical equipment procurement. Federal, state, and private agencies offer financial assistance for items ranging from small equipment and accessories all the way up to facilities. EMSGrantshelp.com, FireGrantshelp.com, and Grantfinder.com can help you determine what items have grant money available or even help write the grant. Click here to see a more comprehensive article detailing some of the things you’ll want to consider before starting the process. You can also call us at 888-832-9371 and ask for Herb Brady. Herb spent over 35 years in both Fire and EMS and has personal experience with the grant process. He’s an excellent resource and can help point you in the right direction. What Are My Financing Options? Frazer has typically seen equipment financing handled by either a bank local to the customer, or by one of numerous regional or national lenders, such as Leasing2 or Texas Capital, specializing in municipal fleet leasing or replacement programs. The financing approach you’ll choose depends largely on what’s available to you, terms offered or comfort with the lender, and governance approval. Whatever the case, Frazer works directly with the lending institution to provide the invoice, MSO, delivery information, etc. to help streamline the process for our customers. At funding, the lender will either: Wire the payment funds directly to the dealer, who will release funds to us upon your acceptance of the vehicle Deposit funds in

Ambulance Buyer’s Top FAQs – Part 2

Thank you so much for your interest in Frazer EMS Vehicles! If you’re here you’re likely a prospective ambulance buyer and that probably means you saw us at a trade show or perhaps on a social media post; maybe one of your neighboring communities has one of our vehicles; or it’s possible you found us with a good old fashioned web search. However it happened, welcome! We’re glad you stopped by. If you missed Part 1 of this series, please click here to check it out. Like any potential customer you have lots of questions. Since this may be the first time you’ve ever heard of us, we’ve compiled a list of the most common things we hear asked by ambulance buyers or their committees. Hopefully these will give you a better sense of our company and our products. If you don’t find the answer you’re looking for here, please feel free to call one of our sales team at 888-372-9371. Or, if you prefer, fill out a request for our handy Buyer’s Guide. How Do You Service Customers Not In Texas? Our approach to service works directly with the way we’ve designed our product. We know components can fail over time. Given that fact, we’ve tried to make everything on your vehicle easy to identify, troubleshoot, and repair. If you have a fleet maintenance department, they will run into very few things they won’t be able to fix. We offer free training to all of our customers for dealing with maintenance and repair on the generator , air conditioner, electrical systems and much more. Our service department is always just a call away. You can even find the number right on the electrical compartment door. Customers have been amazed over the years at how many issues they’ve been able to solve over the phone. Because we designed our EMS vehicles to feature module independence, we don’t make modifications to the factory chassis. If you do have a truck issue, your local dealer will be able to work on it, and the finger pointing we hear about with traditionally powered ambulances goes away. Frazer has excellent relationships with service centers around the country. Click here to see a list of Authorized Service Centers. If you are more comfortable with a service center in your area, we can review their expertise and work directly with them. We can even have them come to the factory for training if necessary. Our Service Department is constantly on the lookout for good people to work with. We have a goal to add 10 more Authorized Service Centers in 2019, bringing our total to 23. To find out more about our numerous service options, please call 888-372-9371 and speak with one of our sales team or ask for Bert Jones, our VP of Service. Also, we highly encourage you to talk to our customers, especially those outside of Texas, to find out how our service has worked for them. Why Do I Need a Generator for My EMS Vehicle? Our customers find generator power on their EMS vehicle gives them a number of major advantages over traditional ambulance electrical systems. They typically have had issues with at least one of the following situations. First, it allows for our super cold, independent 120V A/C system. Customer experiences with the truck-based A/C systems common on traditional ambulances, especially in hotter parts of the country, have definitely been underwhelming. Second, they typically find the separate source of power for the module on their EMS vehicle far more efficient than trying to run everything off the truck electrical system. They no longer rely on load management systems to keep major module functions operable. You just turn it on and go. Third, the modular design and module independence allows for easy, cost effective remounts down the line. Smaller departments frequently tell us how this has allowed them to expand their ambulance fleet without breaking the bank. Fourth, thanks to generator power, mechanics love the simplicity of our electrical design. Our electrical compartment features a detailed print of all circuitry along with the serial numbers and makes of all major components. Lastly, should something go wrong, you don’t want to find yourself without power. If an issue arises with either generator method, our EMS vehicles are designed to automatically switch back over to the chassis electrical system, giving you redundant 12V power in the event of an unexpected problem. Onan or MEPS for My EMS Vehicle? Frazer offers two different approaches to the generator solution on our EMS vehicles. One method uses an on-board Onan 5.5 kW generator located in its own compartment. The advantage to this design is that it does not rely on the chassis to create power. If you should have a truck issue, the patient module will remain fully operable with all major systems intact.  Our other solution utilizes an under hood, belt driven generator from Mobile Electric Power Solutions, MEPS for short. The MEPS system provides 6.3 kW of output. Customers find the advantage of the MEPS system in not having to maintain another piece of equipment. If you don’t have a dedicated fleet maintenance department, this may be the right solution for you. Please click here to view a more comprehensive discussion of the pros and cons of each design. However, if you’re not experiencing consistent battery and alternator failures, poor A/C quality, or system outages on your current ambulance, it’s quite likely a generator powered module is not a priority for your service. But if any of these complaints sound familiar, give one of our sales pros a call at 888-372-9371. They can walk you through these scenarios and discuss the MEPS v. Onan questions to see if generator power, and which approach, would be a good fit for your department. What’s Your Sales Process? We know the sales cycle can be daunting for a prospective customer. We’ve worked hard to streamline the process so you get the most out of your Factory

Ambulance Buyer’s Top FAQs – Part 1

Ambulance Purchase

Thank you so much for your interest in Frazer EMS Vehicles! If you’re here you’re likely a prospective ambulance buyer and that probably means you saw us at a trade show or perhaps on a social media post; maybe one of your neighboring communities has one of our vehicles; or it’s possible you found us with a good old fashioned web search. However it happened, welcome! We’re glad you stopped by. Like any potential customer you have lots of questions. Since this may be the first time you’ve ever heard of us, we’ve compiled a list of the most common things we hear asked by ambulance buyers or their committees. Hopefully these will give you a better sense of our company and our products. If you don’t find the answer you’re looking for here, please feel free to call one of our sales team at 888-372-9371. Or, if you prefer, fill out a request for our handy Buyer’s Guide. How Much Does an Ambulance Cost? Like most complex, big-ticket items the short answer is, it depends. Frazer EMS vehicles start around $145,000.00. However, we have customers at the other end of the spectrum who have requested major customization or added numerous high-dollar options and loose items to the point where we’ve seen prices as high as $375,000.00.  A Frazer sales professional can walk you through the process using our Configuration tool to give you exact pricing based on your needs. If you’re not quite ready for that level of commitment, click here for more info. Why Haven’t I Heard of You? We get this question a lot and frankly there are numerous reasons you might not know who we are. Though the company has been around since 1956, we’ve only been building EMS vehicles since 1985. Back then our primary business was in the seismic exploration field so most of our growth in EMS was organic and most of our marketing was word of mouth. Our generator powered concept was unique in the EMS industry and we didn’t have a large sales staff to promote the concept. We accepted this was a niche product and might not be the sort of thing that would catch on in a widespread fashion. But we also heard horror stories from our customers about experiences with dealers. We committed early on to maintaining a Factory Direct sales model that allowed prospective and existing customers to have a much bigger voice in the direction our product took.  As our market share grew we increased our sales team, but we also made the decision to spend our advertising and marketing dollars cultivating direct relationships with EMS agencies. This meant we rarely advertised in the national trade publications and didn’t show up at every convention.  All of this is to say we’ve been around for many years in the EMS industry but our approach over time has not left us as a household name. Thanks to the internet and social media, and coupled with a larger sales team and marketing budget, we’re able to grow awareness while still keeping the personal interaction we’re known for.  Ultimately, our customers are our best sales force and we highly encourage you to reach out to as many of them as you want. We’re glad you found out about us. Let them give you the rest of the story. Who Runs your EMS Vehicle In My Area? As a prospective ambulance buyer you’re probably curious to know who else might have a vehicle you’re interested in. Frazer provides EMS vehicles to services around the country. While Texas is our predominant market (we build for over half of the 911 agencies in the state), we have customers in 32 states throughout the US.  We’ve built our customer base largely through word of mouth, and, as we offer a Factory Direct buying experience, we don’t have a large dealer network. But we’re hard at work getting the word out via trade shows, social media, and our website.   Please call us toll free at 888-372-9371. Or you can click here to see where are customers are located. We encourage you to contact them to find out more about our products and our legendary service. Do You Customize? Contrary to what other dealers might say, yes, Frazer does tons of customization with all sorts of unique design elements and customer specific features. But in reality, the majority of ambulance buyers have neither the budget nor the time nor the specific need to justify getting too crazy with custom options. Ultimately though, you know what you need and we get that. Fortunately, someone else may have already had that need and likely asked us to engineer a solution. But we also know there are plenty of good ideas lurking around out there. If you have one for us to design, we’re ready, willing, and able to do so. Does Your A/C Hold Up to High Temperatures? Frazer set the standard for high quality air conditioning over 30 years ago when we introduced the generator powered EMS vehicle. Armed with sufficient power to run a completely independent A/C unit dedicated to cooling down the patient compartment, our product was a revelation in an industry used to what some of our customers called “drip air,” turn on the A/C then drip sweat on your patient. A 34 degree differential from outside air temperature is what we provide and what you should expect from your vehicle. Being in Houston puts us squarely in the middle of some of the most brutal summer heat in the country so we’ve had plenty of opportunity to prove the concept over a very long time. We assumed long ago every manufacturer would want to provide the same level of comfort for their customers, but it’s only been in the last handful of years that other builders have started offering a variation on the theme.  Given that Texas experiences extreme summer heat, it’s not surprising we have such a huge fan base here.

Thank You for your Frazer Orders! – Week of July 19

crew-safety

Frazer Customer Updates! Thank you City of Rancho Mirage Fire Rescue for your order of a new Frazer unit! Thank you Houston Fire Department for your order of a new Frazer unit! Thank you Liberty County EMS (FL) for your order of a new Frazer unit! We are honored to help you serve your community and build lasting relationships. Take a moment to browse our Customer Deliveries page to view our finished Frazer units!

Is Your Ambulance Fleet Costing You Too Much Money?

Ambulance Cost

It’s not a secret that owning and operating a modern ambulance can get very expensive. EMS agencies continue to face the challenge of keeping costs down when managing an individual unit or an entire ambulance fleet. A single emergency vehicle could cost anywhere between $120,000 and $325,000, so it’s imperative to know what you can do to save money when shopping around. It is also important to know how to keep costs down after your initial purchase. Here are 7 things to consider when trying to save money on your next ambulance: 1. Service & Maintenance You demand a lot from your vehicles, so it’s important to keep them well-serviced. A well-serviced and maintained ambulance fleet will last considerably longer and save a ton of money in the long run. If you don’t invest in maintenance early on, then you’ll surely pay for it later. Choosing a builder that is known for both durability and serviceability will lead to successful maintenance programs that cost less money. When looking for a builder, consider their ability to service your entire vehicle, including the chassis. Choose a partner that has established service centers near you and offers FREE training to your team. Otherwise you may see costs rise quickly. If your EMS agency opts to buy Factory Direct, you may see reductions anywhere from 40 to 60 percent in overall fleet maintenance costs. 2. Premium Equipment When you spec a new ambulance, you may encounter dealer networks that try to overcharge or upsell equipment that you may not need. Dealers often work on commission, so trying to sell you higher-priced options means more money in their pockets. Make sure your salesperson is more concerned about your agency’s success and sustainability than they are with the size of their commission check. Choose a builder that works at building a long-lasting relationship with you. One that understands your service, your community and your goals. Work with a company that has a long history of incorporating popular features as STANDARD and not as expensive add-ons. This will save you a lot of money when it comes time to spec your next unit. Does your EMS vehicle provider offer a discount for choosing standard options? If so, then this may be a great way to keep your costs down. It may also make the spec process a lot less painful for you and your committee. When you have a trusted partner that puts your needs first and works hard at solving your problems, it can make all the difference in the world. 3. Ambulance Down Time Having a unit break down can be a nightmare, especially when it’s essential to get it back on the road quickly. When one of your fleet vehicles goes down and is placed out of service, the costs can be tremendous. These unplanned losses can cause logistical challenges and increased stress for EMS providers, leadership, and the community. Some EMS agencies determine fleet size based on their peak staffing needs plus additional resources for surges in call volume, special events, and scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. The additional units can vary from 140% to 200% of typical peak demand depending on multiple factors including the community risk profile, availability of service, seasonal variations, surge history, availability of mutual aid, types and frequency of special events and geographical deployment. Agencies that don’t carry additional resources find themselves in a situation of diminishing returns, where scheduled maintenance is skipped due to the lack of a backup, then much more expensive issues crop up. Choosing a vendor that uses modular components that are replaced quickly is a great way to keep your vehicles out of the shop and reduce the number of reserve units you will need. 4. Chassis Wear & Tear If you have an ambulance that relies on its chassis batteries and alternator to power the patient compartment, your unit may be gone before its time. The more wear and tear you place on your chassis, the sooner it will need to be replaced. Choosing an ambulance that features an independent power source extends the life of your chassis considerably. With an independent power source, the chassis does not need to work overtime powering the patient module and can focus on doing what it does best… getting your crew on-scene fast. 5. Remounting One of the most expensive aspects of fleet management happens when it comes time to replace one of your vehicles. Whether a unit has been in a wreck, or has simply reached the end of its life cycle, the process of replacing one of your ambulances can be quite overwhelming. EMS agencies that are interested in saving money have the option of remounting their units. Some feel that their money is better spent on chassis upgrades and much-needed unit enhancements rather than replacing a perfectly good box. If you are interested in the benefits that remounting provides, then partnering with a builder that designs modular units that can be remounted easily is a great idea. Finding a builder that also offers a lifetime warranty on structural integrity will ensure that your box will be with you for many years. 6. Structural Integrity Ambulance builds have changed a lot over the years. Of course, you want to ensure that your vehicles are built with only modern materials. Choosing a builder that uses only the strongest aluminum construction will lengthen the life of your vehicle. Be careful, though… There are builders out there that will sneak wood products into their construction because they believe it saves them money.  Are they passing those savings onto you? 7. Employee Health & Safety One thing you should never cut corners on is safety. With recent changes in safety requirements, several EMS agencies are now dealing with an increase in equipment costs. Outfitting ambulances with equipment that meets these new standards has proven to be a challenge. Crash-tested equipment mounting solutions like Technimount, cot fastener systems, and safety harnesses may seem like a large upfront cost,

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