FRAZER IS HEADED TO THE EAST COAST….again!
We are expanding yet again. As the demand begins to grow for more and more quality mobile healthcare vehicles, we have decided to partner with another company on the East Coast. We are excited to officially announce our partnership with Patriot Fire. Patriot Fire has a long-standing sales & service organization based in Grasonville, Maryland. We will be opening another Frazer Factory Store in partnership with them! After our first phone call with Steve, I knew it was the beginning of something great for the people of Maryland, Delaware, Washington D.C., New Jersey, and Virginia. Steve and his team aligned with so many of our own values, it was impossible to ignore. We are excited and determined to bring the Frazer experience to this region and Patriot Fire is the perfect partner to help us get there Adam Fischer, Vice President of Sales & Marketing Patriot Fire is a team full of highly experienced individuals that take pride in their quality of work. More importantly, they understand what it takes to foster long-lasting relationships with our customers. How it Works Patriot Fire will handle all sales inquiries for Maryland, Delaware, Washington D.C., New Jersey, and Virginia! They will also be an integral part of continuing to expand our service network into the East Coast. Patriot Fire will function as an extension of the Frazer team. Just as we did with our partnership with ETA, we will be investing time and resources to train Patriot Fire’s sales & service members. Doing this ensures each extension of our team is just as educated as our own employees. Patriot Fire will have access to all of the successful systems, processes, and resources that we utilize here at Frazer in Houston, Texas. We expect our customers to feel like they are working directly with Frazer with this new partnership regardless of where they are located! As our presence on the East Coast continues to grow, we will be providing Patriot Fire with commonly used service parts to help reduce downtime because we know how important it is to get your unit back on the road! In the future, we will be training Patriot Fire on our remount processes. This will allow them to provide remounts locally for customers in their territory. This partnership will give us the opportunity to provide our Frazer experience to the first responders that deserve it. Get in touch with us today to see what we can build for you.
Frazer and ETA Announce Partnership
We are expanding and we are expanding rapidly! Because of this new growth and demand for high quality mobile healthcare vehicles, we have decided to partner with a company on the East Coast to open a Frazer Factory Store! New Partnership We are incredibly excited to officially announce our partnership with Emergency Transportation Associates, LLC (ETA) based in Rock Hill, South Carolina. ETA is a family owned and operated business. They have over 40 years of experience in Emergency Services. Most importantly, we trust them to bring the Frazer Experience out to the East Coast. “This is not your typical builder/dealer relationship” says Adam Fischer, Frazer VP of Sales & Marketing. “We are flipping that model on its head by modeling this as a Frazer Factory Store.” ADAM FISCHER, FRAZER VP OF SALES & MARKETING Frazer Factory Store This new Frazer Factory Store will allow ETA to handle all sales and service inquiries for the East Coast. They will cover North and South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia! ETA will be an integral part of expanding our service network into the East Coast. The Frazer Factor Store will be run by ETA and will function as an extension of the Frazer team. We wholeheartedly believe that this partnership will allow us to completely revolutionize this territory with our product and customer service. “The factory store experience is new and innovative to this territory. Customers need ‘speed to market’ and do not have time for a lot of back and forth between dealers and manufacturers. This model reflects the speed and flexibility needed in order to provide the extreme customer service that our customers deserve. We are excited to partner with Frazer and their industry leading EMS Vehicles.” ERIC VOGL SR AND ERIC VOGL II – CO-FOUNDERS OF EMERGENCY TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATES, LLC How it Works Frazer will be investing time and resources to train ETA’s sales & service members because we want to help them just as we do for our local employees. In addition, we will be giving ETA access to all of the systems we utilize here at Frazer in Houston. We will train ETA on all of our processes that we have found to be successful. At Frazer, we know that getting emergency service vehicles back on the road is the utmost priority. We will be providing ETA with commonly used service parts so unit downtime is drastically minimized. We will also be training ETA on our exact remount processes. After that, ETA will be able to provide Remounts for our East Coast customers locally at the Frazer Factory Store. The new Frazer Factory Store will give us the opportunity to provide our customers on the East Coast with the complete Frazer experience because our first responders deserve it. Let us know how we can help you get your hands on a Frazer unit! To learn more about the partnership, CLICK HERE! Take a Tour of our Demo Unit
It’s Ordering Time!
Is that a hint of cold in the air? Are the leaves starting to change colors? Is that football on TV? As the calendar rapidly approaches October and Fall is right around the corner that can only mean one thing, it’s ordering season for a vast majority of our Fire and EMS customers. If you don’t live in Texas, or most places in the south, you may actually be feeling that first brisk bit of chill in the air. Sadly, fall weather is still just a far off dream for us. And while it’s still aggressively hot here, the end of the year is also the hottest time for orders. Most everyone has worked out budget numbers and knows what capital purchases they have planned for the next fiscal year. So what does that mean for you? We Have the Trucks! Current average lead time is 12-15 weeks for Ford, Chevy, and Ram. International and Freightliner lead times will fluctuate on a case by case basis depending on the particular options selected. Timing is Everything The other major consideration for anyone planning to place orders after October 1, will be how quickly you are able to get those orders sent to your builder. Whether working with Frazer or with someone else, the orders will be fast and furious and there will be many. The high volume and concentration can easily result in lead times increasing by 50% over the rest of the year. Frazer realizes that for some the process of getting an order from council approval to a firm PO occasionally poses some challenges. If you find yourself in a situation where that process is hindering your ability to get on our production schedule, a Letter of Intent from your agency can speed that up while you wait on the grinding gears of bureaucracy. Please reach out to one of our sales team at 888-372-9371 to make sure you have everything you need to move forward with your next purchase. They can also help walk you through any other possible ways to ensure your spot in line. If you’re still gathering information on your next purchase, please click here for more information. Go Astros! We just put that in here because we can.
Ambulance Modules – 12′ or 14′?
The changing requirements of EMS resulted in some fairly big updates in the design and configuration of modern ambulances. Frazer offers floor plans for emergency vehicles ranging from strictly 911 EMS operations all the way to rigs designed for technical rescue. Here we’ve broken down the different models with an eye toward helping you determine the right fit for your department. 12’ Modules – A Brief History When we entered the industry in the mid-1980’s, the vast majority of services we worked with were strictly EMS departments. Of those, quite a few were volunteer operations in remote rural communities or smaller areas outlying a larger metro region. At that time, the ambulance module was a relatively novel option for some services as they had been using Type II van conversions primarily. Our Frazer generator powered EMS vehicles were designed from the ground up by our early customers at the City of Houston, Kingwood Area EMS, Fort Bend County EMS, and Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, just to name a few. In fact, outside of figuring out how best to physically incorporate our separate generator set and our ice cold air conditioning into the module, we really had very little to do with the unique design elements our customers have loved over the years. 12’ Modules Now Our constant communication and collaboration with our customers informs much of the modern vehicle we build today. Upgrades to finishes, improvements in cot retention, advances in LED lighting both interior and exterior, better insulation, flooring, and interior wall surfaces, all provide our customers with exceptional levels of user experience and durability. As far as floor plans go though, very little has changed relative to the initial designs we worked with. You can still expect the same spacious interior feeling thanks to cabinets built to appropriate depth. The patient compartment still feels like a mobile emergency room, with bright LED lighting, stainless steel counters and wall surfaces at patient height, and the power to utilize all your medical devices without worry. Our 12’ modules are available as Type I or III with 67.5” or 71.5” (optional) headroom, and can be mounted on all the cool trucks. They represent what we believe is the best overall approach and value to a dedicated EMS vehicle in the industry. As you might imagine, the number of optional items available to customize these units is huge. 14’ Modules – A Brief History The early 1990s saw a fairly major shift in how some services operated. At that time a number of municipalities, large and small, started combining Fire and EMS operations under the purview of the Fire Department. For some this organizational change simply intended to improve efficiency among the two agencies and the operational effect on the EMS department was minimal. But others looked to holistically incorporate elements of both traditional EMS and Fire operations. More often than not, this combination required more space and storage capacity. Enter the 14’ Module. Our first effort, designed for the Bellaire Fire Department, kept the patient compartment largely the same from the rear doors to the captain’s chair, and added the extra two feet to the forward area of the module. Additional exterior storage capacity allowed for the Department to carry some of the tools and gear specific to fire. 14’ Modules Now As is so often the case with our vehicles, the idea one department comes up with leads to something new from another customer. Our 14’ modules are no different. That original 14’ design is still the go-to if your department works in the Fire/EMS model and needs gear space. The size of that particular module spurred numerous customers to design their own modifications, especially if they carried a specific tool or set of gears, SCBAs for example, that required a new solution. More recently Frazer has added two fairly significant variations on that theme. One features a door forward configuration. We’ve found this common for clinical and patient focused operations, providing additional space but without a focus on fire equipment. An unexpected benefit of this design keeps the patient out of view of onlookers or extraneous people at a scene, ensuring privacy for both patient and medic. The other modification features a full transverse compartment consuming the entirety of the additional module space. The patient compartment is virtually identical to a standard 12’ module, but the massive transverse section allows for gear used in high angle technical rescue or equipment specific to bariatric transport. Something like that version really allows for the imagination to run wild. Give Us a Call If you want to discuss the finer points of module configuration, please give one of our Sales Team a call at 888-372-9371. If they can’t help you with the decision, they can definitely get you in touch with some of our customers using the different versions. Or you can click here to browse more information for yourself.
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
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.
Purchasing Emergency Medical Service Vehicles
EMS vehicles are significantly more complicated than comparable vans and trucks because of the extensive array of medical equipment and cooling systems installed in these emergency service vehicles. Working with a reputable emergency medical service vehicle dealer like Frazer ensures that your EMS vehicles are up to the challenge of providing reliable service and are mechanically sound. There are a few important factors to consider when buying emergency medical service vehicles or working with a used ambulance dealer on behalf of your organization or facility. Determine the Type of Emergency Medical Service Vehicle Needed Frazer’s EMS Vehicles typically fall into five basic categories: Type I models separate the driver’s cab from the medic unit and do not allow personnel to pass easily between the two sections of the vehicle. These emergency service vehicles are built on the chassis of a truck with LiquidSpring suspensions. Type III models are similar to Type I custom EMS vehicles but are built on a van chassis.. First Responder or UCV vehicles are highly configurable with abundant storage and tons of layout possibilities. First Responder vehicles are also designed to bring even more equipment and personnel to a scene. Mobile Stroke Units are built with LiquidSpring suspension systems and automatic leveling systems enabling consistent operations on uneven roads. Remountable. Mobile Health Clinics are built on a platform with massive configurability. These can function as clinics, immunization vehicles, evaluation vehicles blood draw and more. Opt for Refurbished Models from a Reputable Used Ambulance Dealer Whether you need a used ambulance for use as a mobile health clinic or an emergency response vehicle, refurbished EMS vehicles can provide real cost savings while ensuring practical solutions for agencies responsible for supplying these medical response services. By looking for pre-owned ambulances that have been upgraded and renovated, you can often acquire a good working vehicle at a fraction of the cost of new EMS vehicles. Choose a Quality Brand like Frazer The reliability and durability of Frazer’s inventory of used ambulances can help you make cost-effective and practical choices for your municipality, agency or other organization. Identifying any common mechanical issues or chassis concerns is taken care of by Frazer before the units are ever posted on site. At Frazer, we offer new emergency medical service vehicles (EMS) and used ambulances for a wide range of applications. If you need a remount for your renovated vehicle, we can provide you with the options necessary to serve patients throughout your area in practical and cost-effective ways. To learn more about our entire range of emergency medical service vehicles, mobile healthcare vehicles, mobile stroke units and used ambulances, give us a call today at 1-888-372-9371. Our sales staff and remount technicians are here to serve you.