Ambulance Theft- A Valid Concern

A piece of advice that has stuck with me through all my years in the Emergency Medical Services industry is this; “An ambulance is like a billboard, drive and act as though everyone can see you.” I still completely agree with this philosophy. And it is also important to remember that some are not only watching, but waiting for their own chance to drive your ambulance and be your “billboard”. Ambulance theft makes news on a regular basis. While I am not aware of statistics, one party on the NEMSMA listserv reports four thefts just in the past week. If this average holds, this would be over 200 a year.

MAST ambulance service in Kansas City, MO is one of the most recent victims when their ambulance was stolen from a ramp at a hospital. Darryl Coontz, MAST Deputy Chief, reports, “The crook went on a tear through the city with the Police in hot pursuit. [The police department] threw down stop sticks which popped the tires and the crook continued on rims. Eventually he ran the unit into a tree thus ending his joyride. Unfortunately, the ambulance was totaled and the crook was taken hot (lights and sirens) to the emergency department for his injuries.” Fortunately no innocent bystanders were injured. In other circumstances, the public may not be so lucky.

From a cost perspective, MAST is down one ambulance. A fully equipped ambulance costs approximately $175,000. While most of the supplies are probably reusable, the hard equipment may be damaged and electronic equipment such as cardiac monitors should be “recertified” before placing back into service. There are many rural services where the loss of an ambulance can put the public at significant risk by stripping the community of its only EMS resource. It can take months to have a replacement back in service.

In another incident, a private ambulance was stolen in Chicago while parked at a nursing home on March 24, 2009. The driver hit a parked car and then ran through an intersection causing a six-car accident injuring many. The liability of an ambulance on a joyride causing property damage and potential injuries is significant. One can be certain the ambulance service will be listed as a responsible party. The Public Information Officer for the involved agency will certainly earn his or her money answering questions as to how the incident occured and what they are doing to address the issue going forward.

Ambulance thefts appear to have many common factors:
1. The ambulance is unattended;
2. The keys are in the ignition;
3. Often the vehicles are running;
4. Most occur while on scenes or parked on ambulance ramps at hospitals; and
5. Many of the thieves are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Fortunately, most ambulances are recovered (in various conditions) and do not go missing completely. Ambulances unaccounted for should cause significant concern for the first responder community and DHS. DHS has sent out multiple notices over the years that terrorists may use emergency response vehicles and ambulances specifically to access disaster scenes unchecked. The potential for secondary events is always a consideration and all efforts must be made to reduce this potential. In fact, an ambulance with generic markings was discovered during the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-Saint Paul. Upon investigation, police “found a large cache of weapons, bags of urine and feces, and related items to cause criminal damage to property”. While we often relate these types of stories happening in other war-torn parts of the world, this happened on our own soil and not in NYC or Washington, DC, but in the Midwest. It can happen anywhere.

There are many best practices to prevent ambulance theft. Of course, locking the vehicle whenever it is unattended is a low tech deterrent. And, if you must leave the vehicle running, have each EMS provider carry a second set of keys or key fob so the doors to the cab can still be locked. While this can create logistical issues with having other parties return to the vehicle for additional items or the gurney, it may be well worth the hassle. Changing practices can quickly overcome any perceived obstacles. Some higher tech solutions include anti-theft devices. These can leave the vehicle running without the key in the ignition. If a driver steps on the brake or attempts to put the vehicle in gear without reinserting the key, it will kill the vehicle’s engine. Click here for more information on vehicle disabling systems.

Many ambulance services are placing GPS in their vehicles and using the technology to dispatch the closest units. These GPS devices will not deter theft, but will at least track the location of the vehicle. This opens up a few options in the event the ambulance is stolen or unaccounted for. Law enforcement can locate, set up surveillance, and follow the vehicle until the right time to apprehend. They may not need to pursue using lights and sirens placing everyone at further risk. Chances are good you will get the ambulance back and hopefully in the same condition you left it.

Ambulance theft appears to be a crime of opportunity but there are many ways to prevent it. Whatever the solution, it remains a critical issue with serious public safety, financial and national security risks. I’d be interested to hear stories and/or solutions from other industry professionals.

Thanks,

Troy Hagen

Troy Hagen is the Director of Ada County Paramedics in Boise, Idaho. He has been involved in EMS for over 20 years. Troy served as Medical Commissioner and Incident Commander for the 2009 Special Olympic World Winter Games. He is an adjunct faculty member for Idaho State University’s Institute of Emergency Management and a frequent lecturer on emergency preparedness, special events planning, and multi-agency coordination.

Troy serves on the Board of Directors for the National EMS Management Association and a Finance Committee Member for the National EMS Advisory Council.