Excellence in Technology St John NT - H300 Toyota Commuter

4x4 Response Ambulance Project

St John Ambulance Australia (NT)

Team: Andrew Thomas, Mark Grahame

St John NT paramedics are often called to respond to cases in remote locations with unsealed roads which prove difficult to access in a metro ambulance vehicle. Whilst a regular 4WD is capable of accessing these remote locations, it is not suited to the needs of paramedics, as the vehicle is not equipped with the means to store and transport all of the equipment needed. Looking at measures to improve its service and provide the best care possible in remote locations, St John NT identified the need to bridge the gap between the two vehicles and create an alternative that was equipped for the needs of paramedics and had the 4WD capabilities to access remote offroad locations.

The H300 Toyota Commuter 4x4 Response Ambulance project was developed to design and build a new 4x4 response vehicle with the capability to access remote NT locations while carrying the latest emergency medical equipment. The vehicle design aimed to achieve a hybrid between the ergonomic capabilities of a metro ambulance and the off-road capabilities of a Land Cruiser, with the Toyota HiAce 4WD chosen as the best suited model to meet this challenge.

The project was developed by St John NT’s Northern Region Operational team and Vehicle Services Department with the intention of producing multiple vehicles that could then be distributed to St John NT centres across the Territory.

The technology utilised in the development of the HiAce 4WD will enable St John NT to provide services to remote communities in a more efficient manner. Having the option to customise these vehicles will create greater flexibility than was previously available. The HiAce 4WD vehicle will allow paramedics to reach cases in remote areas with greater ease and potentially reduce response times.

The development of these vehicles demonstrates St John NT’s capacity in tailoring service delivery to meet the operating environment and potentially assisting other ambulance services and health organisations needing to meet similar challenges.