Emergency vehicle manufacturers produce a high-visibility product that is extremely important. Children and adults alike are fascinated with fire trucks and ambulances racing down the street with sirens blaring. Because a police vehicle or rescue vehicle is the first line of defense in an emergency, it must be ready to go at all times.

Ambulance manufacturers and fire truck builders must produce vehicles that handle well at high speeds, provide excellent line of sight and are sturdy enough to withstand rough terrain or constant use. Emergency vehicle manufacturers specialize, trusted by the people to adhere to high performance standards. By producing quality products, many companies have made a good reputation in this market. If your business plans to enter the market with ambulance makers and fire engine manufacturers, do the following things:

1. Use online sources to identify the leading emergency vehicle manufacturers.

2. Discover the latest advances in emergency vehicle manufacturing.

3. Collect information about selected ambulance manufacturing companies.

Action Steps
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Search online sources for information about makers of emergency trucks

To prepare your company to join the other ambulance manufacturing companies, do online research. Identify the leading makers of emergency trucks, whether for police, fire or EMS. Learn how long each one has been in the business and what makes its products stand out. Investigate pricing to decide how it fits your business scheme.

I recommend: Visit the Emergency Vehicle Center to identify leading ambulance, fire apparatus and rescue unit makers. Your firm also can find information on new and pre-owned units. Review the information at the Emergency Vehicle Group website on fire and ambulance makers as well as maintenance tips and other general information.

Check out the latest emergency vehicles for sale

Emergency vehicle manufacturers build the latest innovations into new units. So one way for your business to learn about the state of the art in emergency vehicle manufacturing is to examine new vehicles. Also have staff analyze the options to customize vehicles that are offered by many rescue vehicle builders.

I recommend: At the Emergency Vehicles website, your team can find specs for the latest vehicle delivered to customers. The company supplies both law enforcement and fire and emergency units. Check American Emergency Vehicles. It has several models of the TraumaHawk emergency vehicles for sale. Laboit customizes command and emergency vehicles "from the chassis up." See the website for a factory tour.

Identify the emergency vehicle manufacturers in your firm's niche

Find the fire truck manufacturers, ambulance makers or police vehicle suppliers that will compete with your company. Collect business intelligence to find out what they do well. Have your team develop a company strategy focused on best practices.

I recommend: Study information about Horton, a leading maker of ambulances for more than 40 years. Also note their line of rescue vehicles. The Midwest Fire website provides information on their vehicles, including recent deliveries. It also has a unique Create-A-Spec feature. Compare the police vehicles by Universal Specialty Vehicles with others on the market. Its units include the latest communications technology.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  There is a lucrative market for used and refurbished emergency vehicles as well as specialized vehicle service. If your company is interested in that endeavor, check online sources for the size and nature of used inventories or the details of service contracts.
• •  Regardless of the segment of emergency vehicle manufacturing your company is interested in, retain a lawyer to analyze the need for special guarantees due to the key nature of the 'emergency' business.

Emergency vehicle manufacturers need more than a good price to win customers. Emergency vehicle manufacturers should give you the expertise and support you need to make a strong case for your vehicle choice when it's time to talk with municipal leaders or fire company officials.

To properly make that case, you need an emergency vehicle manufacturing company that can back its products with financial stability, substantial experience and stellar customer service, as well as options and features that will make leasing or ownership easy and productive. Ambulance manufacturers and fire truck manufactures alike should follow these standards.

When researching emergency vehicle manufacturing online, it's important to find out if manufacturers:

1. Offer a wide variety of products so you can one-stop shop for replacement accessories.
2. Show proof of solid financial footing.
3. Offer strong customer service.
4. Offer good bond and insurance options.

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Find emergency vehicle manufacturers that back up your purchase with quality parts

A good rescue vehicle maker will make your partnership more convenient by selling the backup parts you need and offering a diverse array of insurance and bonding options.

I recommend: Emergency Vehicle Group, Inc. offers a comprehensive online list of rescue vehicle companies, as well as a great parts list organized by manufacturer.

Research ambulance makers and find out how they rate

A good ambulance builder is up on the latest innovations and backs its products with good parts and service. Ambulance makers often list their emergency vehicles for sale, custom-build options and support services online. Luckily, it's possible to find great ambulance manufacturers online.

I recommend: Leader Emergency Vehicles boasts over 30 years of experience making custom ambulances. Ambulance builder Marque Inc. features a guided tour of its construction methods. American Emergency Vehicles (AEV) offers "TraumaHawk" emergency vehicles for sale. Ambulance builder Excellance lists financing options right on its website.

Explore options such as leasing and used emergency vehicles

A number of companies list emergency vehicles for sale, along with leasing and used options, online

I recommend: Try 1st Priority Emergency Vehicles for lists of pre-owned ambulances, create your own fire engine specifications at Midwest Fire, or watch as fire trucks are manufactured on this interactive site feature from Crimson.

Find great fire truck manufacturers that can custom-build to your needs

Good fire engine manufacturers offer many options for customization of your rescue vehicle. Fire engine manufacturers must also follow strict safety standards--so be sure they do so by checking with other professionals in the field.

I recommend: Fire truck manufacturer Pierce features great safety innovations and an online inventory of stock trucks, while American LaFrance also offers great customization options as well as 24-hour emergency support.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Talking with people from fire companies or ambulance corps within your region can be one of the best ways to get good recommendations for emergency vehicle manufacturers. Word of mouth recommendations are the best kind, so even if you don't know anyone in the field, look up an association online, such as the Emergency Vehicle Owners and Operators Association.

Any enterprise interested in the emergency vehicle manufacturing business needs to be familiar with news and trends in the sector. Trends motivate emergency vehicle manufacturers to make adjustments and advances or seek new solutions in equipment or processes. Businesses that can facilitate the adjustments or provide the solutions become key players with ambulance makers and fire truck builders.

Trends in safety, size, dependability and convenience lead the way among rescue vehicle makers. These major concerns for fire engine manufacturers and ambulance manufacturers alike have led to several recent innovations in equipment and training. Most emergency vehicles for sale today are equipped with advances aimed at those concerns. Include an analysis of trends in these and similar areas in your firm's business intelligence. To get started on rescue vehicle trends and news, do the following:

1. Check the websites of ambulance manufacturing companies.

2. Analyze innovations made by fire truck manufacturers.

3. View the standards for emergency vehicle manufacturers as an information source.

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Search online for news related to emergency vehicle manufacturers

A new emergency vehicle sniffs out poison gas. Cities institute new, safer driver training for rescue personnel. These are recent trends affecting emergency vehicle manufacturers, and there are dozens more each year. Assign staff to monitor the news and trends for alerts to business opportunities.

I recommend: Check the "Latest News" section of the Emergency Vehicle Group. You'll find emergency vehicle manufacturing sector news and how it affects the company. Check the "What's New" section of the American Emergency Vehicles website. Your business can learn of recent happenings with the company and the market.

Identify key advances in emergency trucks

Innovations reflect changing trends and technological advances. Many recent innovations focus on safety, such as monitors that provide 360-degree views for fire truck and ambulance drivers. New suspensions make handling a police vehicle safer during a chase or other stressful incident. If your company is in the technology or R&D segments, the sky is the limit as ambulance manufacturing companies look for safer, better vehicles and equipment.

I recommend: In addition to a "News" section that provides general news of interest, Pierce, a leading fire apparatus maker, offers details about equipment innovations. Have your team view the new innovations by Braun. They'll find a long list of advances on design and performance. Contributing to such advances can move your company to the top of the business sector.

Study emergency vehicle manufacturing guidelines for clues

Because their products are crucial to life and death, emergency vehicle manufacturers are guided by stringent standards. These guidelines can give your firm strong clues to new trends. Most regulations require high performance, absolute dependability and general standardization. Use the industry standards to find your business's niche with ambulance manufacturers and similar companies.

I recommend: For emergency vehicle manufacturers, standards are a key piece of changing news. Get your copy at the Emergency Vehicles website. Find interpretation and commentary on the latest standards at Fire Chief, a website dedicated to emergency and rescue professionals. It also provides detailed emergency vehicle manufacturers news and trends.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Local fire stations and hospitals stay updated on emergency vehicle manufacturers news and trends. Develop a partnership to keep each other in the loop. It also might provide an excellent opportunity to get help interpreting some information.

Emergency vehicle manufacturers encompass more than ambulances and fire engines. Reflecting our society’s complexity, emergency vehicle manufacturers construct conveyances capable of carrying people and materials to and from nearly every scenario imaginable, from fire and accident to biohazards and bomb threats. They also offer alternatives to the time and expense of the new vehicle procurement process. Familiarize yourself with the terms below to gain greater appreciation of the options available.

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Ambulance

Manufacturers produce ambulances in three types. Type I and III are modular, having the square cabin mounted on a medium-duty chassis; Type I on a pick-up chassis, Type III on a cut-away van chassis. Type II ambulances are closer to a van conversion, with the van's roof raised to create the cabin.

I recommend: Metronix produces all three ambulance types, plus a Type IV mini-ambulance crafted from a small electric cart chassis.

Fire apparatus

A fire apparatus are mobile stations, categorized by a specific task within the fire fighting mission. Aerials deliver the ladders for high buildings. Pumpers house high-velocity pumps while tankers transport thousands of gallons of water to the scene. Rescue vehicles act as extra-heavy duty ambulances, bringing equipment to treat fire fighter and victim alike at the scene.

I recommend: Pierce Manufacturing’s site showcases photos and diagrams of each fire apparatus category, plus a “wildland” unit designed for forest blazes.

Rescue truck

A first responder is any authorized person on the scene, be it a police officer, medical technician or paramedic. Emergency vehicle manufacturers are responding to first responders' need for speed and versatility by producing rescue trucks capable of navigating through traffic to arrive on a scene more quickly than a full-size fire apparatus, but with more equipment than a van-type ambulance can hold, for greater versatility in handling a given situation the first responder may encounter.

I recommend: Horton produces light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty rescue trucks you can customize to handle any range of situation you’re likely to encounter in your area.

Command vehicles

Command vehicles are mobile field offices set on a heavy-duty truck chassis, and give emergency personnel the capability to stay on site and on task during times of extended crisis. This category encompasses specialty cabins to handle hazardous materials (called haz-mat response units) or bombs, called Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units.

I recommend: Emergency Vehicles showcases a variety of command vehicles, including decontamination centers and mobile arson investigation units.

Remounting

Beyond refurbishing, remounting re-fits modules (the actual body or cabin housing the emergency equipment) to a new or remanufactured chassis; a faster, less costly alternative to ordering new or taking chances on used.

I recommend: Excellance covers key benefits to remounting and refurbishing over buying new.

Conversion

Another alternative to buying a new dedicated emergency vehicle, conversion allows you to turn a truck or SUV you have on hand into a first responder, command or special unit by adding warning systems, communications equipment and storage options, including special heating or refrigerated systems for biomedical purposes.

I recommend: First Priority Emergency Vehicles explains the steps involved in converting a civilian vehicle into an emergency unit.