If you or your business are in the market for emergency vehicles and intend to make a purchase, it is essential that you research and prepare before working with emergency vehicle dealerships. Your purchasing activities and bottom line will benefit from the added knowledge you acquire, such as emergency vehicle pricing and emergency vehicle auction information, as you will be entering into negotiations as an informed professional.

Just understanding basic used fire command vehicles for sale and vehicle ambulance sale information is not enough; take advantage of the Internet to find more detailed emergency vehicle dealer content. Consider the following when preparing your business or organization for working with emergency vehicle dealerships:

1. Gain an understanding of the long-term service and support offered by emergency vehicle dealers.

2. Ascertain a complete picture of what you should expect when you buy an ambulance or other emergency vehicle from a dealership.

3. Attain an appropriate expectation of your emergency vehicle refurb and sale dealer delivery.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn about service and support offerings available at new and used emergency vehicles dealerships

Be aware of typical short- and long-term support services provided by dealerships with ambulances and fire trucks for sale. Knowing what is commonly offered in terms of assistance after you buy emergency vehicles will ensure you are not deprived of any necessary accommodations. This information can be found on dealership websites.

I recommend: Visit the FESCO Emergency Sales website to learn about the types of support and service locations offered. Take a look at the parts, service and vehicle outfitting offerings at the Emergency Vehicle Group website.

Acquire a thorough illustration of what to expect when working with an emergency vehicle dealer

Boost your understanding of the entire emergency vehicle auctions and dealers experience by viewing tours and reading through client testimonials. You will then both visually comprehend and infer through customer stories what your emergency vehicle purchasing endeavor should entail. This illustrative and written content can be accessed on dealership websites.

I recommend: View a slide show tour of the Greenwood Emergency Vehicles facility and amenities on the company's website. Browse customer stories and testimonials at the Northwestern Emergency Vehicles website.

Review pictures and descriptions of past deliveries made by emergency vehicle dealers

Know what you are going to be getting out of an emergency vehicle purchase by looking through past deliveries made by dealerships that offer for sale used ambulances or have airport fire trucks for sale. You will be able to see what types of purchases are common, the state of purchased vehicles and their intended use. This pictural and depictive information is available on dealership websites.

I recommend: Check out past transactions delivered by J & J Emergency Vehicle Sales. Search through previous deliveries by vehicle type at First Priority Emergency Vehicles.

The ads are all over the Internet, "For Sale: Used Ambulances" and "Fire Trucks for Sale." But with so many emergency vehicle dealerships in business, it can be difficult to decide where to go to make such a major purchase.

Buying an emergency vehicle is a decision that will impact your community for years to come. You want to get it right. So start by assessing your needs. Make a list of the features you must have in the vehicle. Figure out your budget. Then ask yourself the following questions to narrow down your search:

1. Can I afford to buy from one of the many new emergency vehicle dealerships?

2. Do I want to consider buying used emergency vehicles?

3. Am I willing to buy from an emergency vehicle auction?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Contact one of the many new emergency vehicle dealerships

If you have the money in your budget, you may want to buy an ambulance or fire truck that can be customized specifically to your needs. New emergency vehicle dealers will help design your vehicle, give you progress reports as your vehicle is built and even supply you with replacement parts down the road.

I recommend: Horton Emergency Vehicles has been making ambulances and rescues for 40 years. The company can design, build and maintain your custom-made vehicle. If you are looking for a fire truck, VFD-Fire Group sells a wide range of vehicles.

Consider purchasing used emergency vehicles

If emergency vehicle pricing is the primary factor in your purchase, you may want to buy a used emergency vehicle. This may seem like a daunting task, but fortunately, several companies exist that can help you track down the right vehicle for the right price.

I recommend: Firetec claims to be America's largest used fire truck dealer. The company's website lets you search for used vehicles by model year, pump size, tank size and price range. FireTrucksForSale.com works much like a newspaper classified section, and has vehicles for sale from departments across the country.

Buy at one of the many emergency vehicle auctions, then refurbish the vehicle to meet your needs

If your needs are broad, it might make sense for you to buy at an emergency vehicle auction and then refurbish. You will have to be flexible and do a little extra work, but this can be a great way to save money.

I recommend: Liquidy Services, Inc. runs an online auction of government surplus assets. First Priority Emergency Vehicles offers complete remounting and refurbishment services.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Before you start the purchasing process, talk to members of other departments in your area that have recently bought new and used emergency vehicles. Their experiences can provide you with valuable lessons.

Emergency vehicle dealerships are similar in function to other transport dealerships. The main difference is that they specialize in new and used emergency vehicles such as ambulances and fire trucks. Emergency vehicle dealers are especially useful to emergency service providers with lower budgets, who cannot always afford new vehicles. An emergency vehicle dealer may hold an emergency vehicle auction or they may simply have a lot of emergency vehicles with set emergency vehicle pricing. Regardless of the format in which the dealership is organized, it is important for them to follow the laws and regulations for emergency vehicle dealerships which have been put in place.

When offering for sale used ambulances or new and used fire trucks, emergency vehicle dealerships are required to proceed with such transactions in a legal manner. To learn about the specifics regarding the laws and regulations for emergency vehicle dealerships, an emergency vehicle dealer may choose to:

1. Research laws and regulations put in place by the government with regard to emergency vehicle auctions.

2. Consider state and federal laws regulating the sale of emergency vehicles by those who wish to buy emergency vehicles.

3. Consult independent legal resources online for advice in legally operating such emergency vehicle dealerships.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Examine state and federal laws overseeing the operation of emergency vehicle dealerships

State and federal laws often contain the strictest laws and regulations for emergency vehicle dealerships. For emergency vehicle dealers concerned with the legal operation of their businesses, these are the most important rules to follow. An inability to follow the guidelines and mandates set by state and federal governments with respect to emergency vehicle ambulance sale options, the offering of used fire command vehicles for sale and other such transactions can result in fines, penalties and even the termination of a business.

I recommend: State laws with respect to emergency vehicle dealerships may vary. Dealers should check with their specific state for individual state laws, but many states have similar local laws. For example, South Dakota clearly defines their emergency vehicle dealers as essentially anyone who offers for sale emergency vehicles. As dealers, all such dealerships are required to be licensed to sell such objects of transport. Missouri discusses the United States federal government Senate Bill 91 changes which not only spells out the definition of emergency vehicles, but also discusses the fact that dealers who sell only emergency vehicles are exempt from maintaining a bona fide location for their business.

Study the rules and regulations designed specifically for emergency vehicle auctions

Emergency vehicle auctions are unique in that sellers can bid on the emergency vehicles for sale. There are no set or fixed prices decided upon by the dealerships. However, there are rules and regulations specific to emergency vehicle auctions which need to be taken into consideration.

I recommend: Ohio.gov has similar codes in place regulating emergency vehicle dealers and emergency vehicle auctions. General information with respect to vehicle auction laws can be found at CarsFrom500.com, which discusses that some state laws do not allow for auto auctions to take place online.

Refer to additional qualified legal resources online to gather info on emergency vehicle dealerships

Additional legal resources are available online for emergency vehicle dealerships and emergency vehicle dealers. These resources can come in handy should an emergency vehicle dealer or employee have any questions about the business or how to legally run it.

I recommend: The Consumer and Regulatory Affairs website offers the specifics of emergency vehicle dealerships operation laws. Additional information can be found at a state's motor vehicle dealer board, as illustrated at Colorado.gov.

Lights flashing, sirens blaring, we're all conditioned to make way for emergency vehicles. But when it comes time to purchase an emergency vehicle, there's a lot more to consider than just how loud the siren is. Having an understanding of basic vocabulary associated with emergency vehicles can help you sort through the many options you'll find at emergency vehicle dealerships. Do you need an ambulance or a rescue vehicle? A pumper or a rapid response vehicle? Use these key words to help you get started shopping.

Action Steps
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Ambulance

While most of us are familiar with ambulances as emergency vehicles racing down the road with lights flashing and siren blaring, the proper definition of the word includes vehicles designed for non-emergency patient transport as well.

I recommend: WiseGEEK details the history of the ambulance, from its origins as a horse-drawn buggy to present-day features.

Remounts

A remounted emergency vehicle is one that has outlived the service life of its original chassis and been remounted, replaced or rebuilt, on a new chassis.

I recommend: First Priority Emergency Vehicles outlines the common features found in an emergency medical vehicle remount.

Decontamination

Proper decontamination of the patient transport environment is critical to successfully running a patient transport operation. The best emergency medical or response vehicles are crafted with this in mind.

I recommend: PandemicFlu.gov details the decontamination process necessary to properly maintain hygiene during an influenza pandemic for emergency medical service transport vehicles.

EVOOA

The EVOOA or Emergency Vehicles Owners and Operators Association is an international group of enthusiasts dedicated to the preservation of antique or vintage emergency vehicles, as well as in-service models of all types. If you're looking for advice on how to care for emergency vehicles or their operating characteristics, this is the place to start.

I recommend: The Emergency Vehicle Owners and Operators Association website details the services of the organization.

Fire trucks

The field of emergency vehicles includes not just emergency medical transport vehicles, but fire trucks and rescue vehicles.

I recommend: The Florida State Fire College details the different types of fire trucks and rescue vehicles you're likely to find yourself shopping for, along with links to information about specialized fire and rescue equipment.

Dynamic programming

Dynamic programming is the field of operations research focused on planning decisions based on uncertain, highly variable factors. Dynamic programming is being used to tackle the program of where and how to best deploy ambulances in order to provide the most efficient coverage, and may affect your ambulance buying habits.

I recommend: Eureka! Science News explains the concept of dynamic programming and how it applies to the ambulance industry.