Demers Ambulances Presents the Industry's First Green Ambulance

Demers Ambulances

Demers Ambulances, one of North America's largest ambulance manufacturers and the Canadian leader, is proud to present the first ambulance engineered with specific environmental criteria within DEMERS Ambulances ECO Program.

The Demers Mystere MX 160 ECO ambulance has been developed especially for the County of Simcoe in Ontario, Canada. The County of Simcoe is modernizing its emergency vehicle fleet to ensure they are well equipped to save lives while operating with reduced green house gas emissions.

In partnership with Fleet Challenge Ontario, Canadian Extreme Climate Systems Ltd and the County of Simcoe, Demers Ambulances has been working since December 2009 to develop the Demers Mystere MX 160 ECO ambulance. The project consists of a Hybrid Idle Reduction System (HIRS), an innovative application of existing green technologies that will revolutionize emergency medical service vehicle operations. HIRS maintains all onboard systems and cab climate control as mandated by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, without idling and with no compromise to performance.

"At Demers Ambulances, we are honored to partner with the County of Simcoe in their proactive initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint, providing them with advanced ambulances engineered with respect of the environment and safety of the occupants in mind," says Alain Brunelle, President and General Manager of Demers Ambulances.

Initial testing performed on the Demers Mystere MX 160 ECO using the HIRS resulted in a significant reduction of idling time and greenhouse gas emissions. All testing is scheduled to be completed by December 2010. Considering the fact that EMS vehicles idle from 35% to 65% of their overall operations time, this reduction in fuel consumption represents a substantial reduction in fuel costs and harmful emissions.

The unique Demers Electronic Multiplex System combined with the HIRS manages the onboard patient compartment and cab climate control independently to provide comfort. Further environmental testing will be conducted by the University of Windsor and all testing is scheduled to be completed by December 2010.

Warden Cal Patterson declares, "The County of Simcoe is committed to taking positive steps toward lessening our carbon footprint. This innovative partnership is another example of Council's progressive thinking and its willingness to invest in a greener future."

Mr. Brunelle adds, "At Demers Ambulances, we use everything from composite material and aerodynamic design to strong and lightweight aluminum construction to reduce fuel consumption. For 50 years now, Demers employees have been putting all their passion and highly skilled experience into engineering ambulances with an attention to detail that not only impresses our customers but also meets the changing needs of the industry worldwide. Together with the County of Simcoe, our combined efforts in this unique project will be leading the EMS industry."

About the Fleet Challenge Ontario

Fleet Challenge Ontario (FCO) is a not-for-profit program of the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance that helps fleet operators reduce their fuel consumption, operating costs and tailpipe emissions through sharing of modern fleet management techniques and proven best management practices. Visit www.fleetchallenge.ca for more information.

About the County of Simcoe