This week, VP of Sales & Marketing, Chad Brown, has been in Daytona Beach, FL at an Advanced Technical College. Starting on Monday, May 13th and lasting through today, this National EVT Training Academy event is put on by the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association.  The course is designed to provide continuing education on the maintenance and repair of emergency vehicle equipment. The course will conclude with an EVTCC test.

EVT technicians have come in from around the country to participate at the Advanced Technology Center. Each day, they have been listening to presentations on topics such as aerial fire apparatus, Hale pumps, hydraulic systems, advanced electrical systems, inspection and maintenance of fire apparatus, and much more.  Yesterday, Chad Brown presented on Braun ambulances specifically. He covered maintenance and repair for electrical troubleshooting, exterior doors, the Weldon VMux system, and more.

As part of the course, there was also a vendor showcase yesterday from 4:00 – 6:00 pm. There to represent Braun Industries was local ambulance dealer, Ten-8 Fire Equipment. They had a customer unit from St. Johns County Rescue on display for class participants to tour. For more information on Ten-8 Fire Equipment, visit their website.

For more details on the Advanced Technical College, you can visit the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association website.

We’ve had over a week to catch up from FDIC 2013, but it’s safe to say we are still working to follow up from the show and recover from all the excitement! As with past years, the Fire Department Instructors Conference did not disappoint. It was great to see everyone who stopped by our booth; Thursday and Friday were packed!

While we had five models on display throughout the show, a few of the models stood out to exhibit visitors. The New Orleans, Bernalillo, St. Johns County, and Westerville units were all much talked about. With various models including countless features, visitors seemed most excited by the blue LED lights in the New Orleans units, our aluminum rounded interior cabinets, and our EZ Glide Sliding Door.

Our dealers and their Braun ambulance sales representatives from around the country came to Indianapolis to work in our booth. We also had representation in the GM and International/Navistar booths all three days. The show is a great time for our dealers to network with each other, catch up with existing customers, reach out to new ones, and learn the latest industry trends. 

As a manufacturer, we also got the chance to catch up with some of our end-customers as well. We especially want to thank Miami Dade, Boston, and Bernalillo County for stopping by to chat with us. It is always wonderful to have the opportunity to speak in person!

VP of Sales & Marketing, Chad Brown, had the following to say about FDIC 2013:

This show is in our backyard and goes great every year. It is so nice to see our existing clients and potential new clients have the opportunity to intermingle together and talk shop. We always get great feedback on our show presence and the quality of units that we bring to display. It is always a great mix of models.

We also want to thank everyone that participated in our first ever Scavenger Hunt! The interactive event had participants visit each one of our Braun ambulance models on display to answer questions. Every entrant with correct answers was given Braun branded merchandise. Tom Miller was also the lucky grand prize winner, receiving a Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ Tablet with four-corner mounting case. If you were an individual who participated, we’d love to hear your feedback. Leave us a comment below!

With 331 days to go, we’re already looking forward to FDIC 2014!

As Day 1 at FDIC 2013 kicks off, we are anxious to man our booth (# 4420) and interact with customers this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We’ve got representatives from dealerships around the country coming in to help us. We will also have five unique emergency vehicles on display throughout the exhibit hall.

We are most looking forward to hosting our first interactive tradeshow scavenger hunt; so don’t forget to participate! It will be lots of fun, challenging participants to visit each of our models on display and learn more about Braun as they go. The best part is every entry with correct answers wins Braun merchandise! Plus… one lucky grand prize winner will receive a Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ tablet with four-corner mounting case!

The “Play-Scan-Win” Scavenger Hunt can be played all three days during open exhibit hall hours. It’s as easy as visiting three booths at the show, the Braun Booth #4420, GM Booth #3357, and Navistar Booth #5345. To learn more about it, check out our previous blog post or stop by our booth when you get to the show!

If you plan on playing, make sure you have a mobile device on you with a QR code scanner. If you don’t have a mobile device, or you’re not sure how QR codes work, don’t worry! We will have an option for participants to play without the QR codes. We want to make sure everyone has a chance to participate and interact with us. We look forward to seeing you at the show!

For FDIC 2013, we are bringing five emergency vehicles to display. Three of these units will be available for viewing in our main booth, # 4420. We are also pleased to partner with GM & Navistar to display units in their booths as well. GM will be located in booth # 3357. Navistar will be at booth # 5345.

At the GM booth, Braun will be featuring the Westerville Fire Department unit. This is a Chief XL Type III ambulance; it is a 169″ module with 72″ of headroom. The unit has a Whelen LED series lighting package, EQ2B siren, ramped floor at rear doors, Meganite countertops, Hoseline FT-454 Heat/AC system, Ferno cot hardware for the 28Z model, Chemtron 02 outlets, and custom aluminum cabinets. Since on display at GM, this unit is on a 2013 G-4500 with an ambulance prep package. The chassis includes a 6.6L turbo diesel engine, dual 1450 amp alternators, 57 gallon fuel tank with DEF, 14,200 lbs GVWR, 6 speed auto transmission, and a 159″ wheelbase.

Also in the GM booth will be the chassis only for our customer, Brodhead Area EMS. This will allow visitors to get a good look at the foundation without the ambulance module. GM representatives will provide additional information at the show on that chassis.

Navistar will be featuring our customer unit from St. Johns Fire Rescue Division. The St. Johns emergency vehicle is a Chief XL with 166″ module and 72″ of headroom. The ambulance boasts a Whelen LED lighting package, Vanner Inverter 20-1050CUL, aluminum cabinets, custom 02 storage, transverse background storage, Norcold fridge unit, and Hanson interior assist handles. The unit is mounted on a 2013 International TerraStar chassis with 183″ wheelbase. This custom chassis includes the ambulance prep package, 18,000 lbs GVWR, Allison 1000 EVS transmission, IROS rear suspension, OEM installed Grover air horns, and OEM aluminum wheels.

A great way to make sure you visit all of our emergency vehicles at FDIC is to participate in our Scavenger Hunt. You can find more details about the hunt on our blog; it will be a fun, interactive experience and every entry with correct answers wins a prize! We look forward to seeing you at the show!

One of the best parts about FDIC is the ability to connect with people and network. Our ambulance dealers from around the country show up and participate by representing the Braun brand at the show. We are pleased to have them there to talk about our emergency vehicles and better connect us with the end-customers they serve.

This year, we will have representatives from the following dealerships joining us in Booth # 4420: Fire Fighting Innovations, Life Star Rescue, Inc., Autotronics, Southeastern Specialty Vehicles, Bulldog Fire Apparatus, All Area Fire & Rescue, Fireguard, Inc., North Central Emergency Vehicles, Ten-8 Fire Equipment, North Eastern Rescue Vehicles, and Penn Care, Inc.

A complete list of who will be coming from each dealership, as well as Braun Industries direct, is listed below:

Braun Industries

• Kim Braun – President
• Scott Braun – Vice President of Quality
• Chad Brown – Vice President of Sales & Marketing
• Eric Wilcox – Regional Sales
• Penny Richardson – Inside Sales Support

Fire Fighting Innovations – This dealer serves existing customers only in Florida.

• Bob Milnes

Life Star Rescue, Inc. – This dealer serves the states of Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan, counties eastern Illinois, and counties in northwest and southwest Ohio.

• Lyle Halstead
• Tony Crum
• Troy Meeker
• Tom Lehrman
• Denny Jones
• Rick Bell
• Mike Dowler

Autotronics  – This dealer serves  the state of Maine.

• Paul Daigle
• Kyle Daigle
• Derek Young
• Richard Levesque

Southeastern Specialty Vehicles – This dealer serves the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, and some counties in Tennessee.

• Tim Hykes

Bulldog Fire & Emergency Apparatus – This dealer serves the states of New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.

• Dave Rich

All Area Fire & Rescue – This dealer serves Nassau, Suffolk, Kings, Queens, Rockland, and West Chester counties in New York.

• Howie Boynton
• Peter Caliendo

Fireguard, Inc. – This dealer serves counties in Iowa and the state of Nebraska.

• Kevin Hergott
• Matt Reinke
• Bob Sorenson

North Central Emergency Vehicles – This dealer serves counties in Iowa, counties in Illinois, the states of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

• Fred Pawelk
• Andy Heimerl
• Bob Baxa

Ten-8 Fire Equipment – This dealer serves the states of Florida and Georgia.

• Cindy Morgan

Northeastern Rescue Vehicles – This dealer serves the entire state of New York except the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Kings, Queens, Rockland, and West Chester, as well as the state of Vermont.

• Bob Reilly

Penn Care, Inc. – This dealer serves counties in eastern and southwestern Ohio, counties in western Pennsylvania, the state of Virginia and West Virginia.

• Don Bloom
• Taylor Pease
• Mike Bowman

If you are interested in learning more about Braun ambulances from your local dealer, this is your chance! While you’re in our booth, you can also participate in our scavenger hunt; every entry with the correct answers wins a prize. We hope to see you at the show!

We are excited to announce we will be hosting our first interactive tradeshow scavenger hunt at FDIC 2013! The “Play-Scan-Win” Scavenger Hunt will take place April 25 – 27, 2013 at FDIC. The event is open to anyone attending the show, looking to win great prizes!

The Scavenger Hunt is designed to engage show participants in visiting all of Braun’s emergency vehicles on display. There are five models total, located in Braun Booth #4420, GM Booth #3357, and Navistar Booth #5345. Throughout the hunt, participants will learn about major construction features and innovations that differentiate Braun ambulances from the competition.

To participate, show attendees should first stop by Braun Booth #4420. Here, they can pick up an official entry card. The entry card will include a map of the models to visit, along with instructions, questions, and contest rules for the challenge. Scavenger hunt entrants will then visit each Braun model on display, where they will scan a QR code graphic with their mobile device. These QR codes will bring up short video clips that unlock the answers to the questions on their entry card.

Once they’ve answered of all the questions, participants can drop off their completed entry card at Braun Booth #4420. Every entry card with the correct answers will receive Braun branded merchandise on-the-spot. One lucky grand prize winner will receive a Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ tablet with four-corner mounting case. The grand prize winner will be drawn after the show from all of the completed entry cards; their prize will be mailed to them. Additional contest rules will be on display in Braun’s booth.

If you are attending FDIC 2013, we hope you will stop by our booth and participate in the “Play-Scan-Win” Scavenger Hunt! It will be a fun way to explore the show and receive Braun branded merchandise. We look forward to seeing you there!

Also, don’t forget to download a QR code reader on your mobile device if you plan to play!

It’s April…and that means we’re putting the final touches on our preparations for the Fire Department Instructor’s Conference (FDIC) 2013! As with years past, FDIC 2013 will be held at the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. Representatives from Braun and our dealerships will be in attendance. We will have a variety of models on display through the exhibit hall.

While the event lasts from April 22 – 27, 2013, the exhibit halls are only open April 25 – 27th.  Exhibit hours are as follows:

• Thursday, April 25, 2013 – 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
• Friday, April 26, 2013 – 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
• Saturday, April 27, 2013 – 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Braun Industries will be located in Booth #4420. There, we will have three units on display. These include Bernalillo County’s Super Chief on a Freightliner M2,  The City of New Orleans EMS’ Liberty on a Ford F-450, and our 6,000th unit produced – a Chief XL on a G-4500. We will also have units on display in the Navistar and GM booths, details coming soon.

Bernalillo County is a Super Chief Type I ambulance. Features of the module include a Whelen lighting package, aluminum cabinets, Meganite countertops, stair chair storage on the OSS#3 door,  bariatric ramp system, and a Zoll E-Series Life Pak Bracket. The unit also includes a custom aluminum console and custom graphics package. It is built on a custom 2013 Freightliner M2 chassis with 174″ wheelbase. The chassis features an ambulance prep package, 20,000 lbs GVWR, Allison 2100 EVS transmission, Kelderman rear suspension, OEM aluminum wheels, Buell air horns, and RAM computer mount. We also installed customer supplied radios into the unit.

The City of New Orleans EMS unit is a highly anticipated display model. It is a Liberty Type I ambulance; the module is 156″ with 72″ of headroom. The emergency vehicle features a Whelen LED lighting package, Whelen Dominator 8 LED light in grille, SK4 ultraviolet air purification system, aluminum cabinets, Meganite countertops, drive cam event recorder, Hoseline FT-454 heat/ac system, and “C” style rubrails with lights. It is on a 2012 Ford F-450 4×2 Super Cab chassis. The chassis includes an ambulance prep package, custom aluminum console with extension, Go Rhino black grille guard, Liquid Springs suspension system, associated jump start system, 186″ wheelbase, Star Punch running boards, and Sound Off ignition security system.

Last, but not least, we will have a Chief XL demo unit on display. This was the 6,000th unit produced by Braun Industries and includes many of the new design elements and features developed to address the forthcoming NFPA 1917 standards. The 169″ module with 72″ of headroom includes a Whelen LED series lighting package, Braun’s exclusive EZ Glideä sliding door, Zolatone door panels, NFPA compliant curbside seating, a Hoseline FT-454 heat/ac system, angled upper cabinets, easy access equipment drawers, and a 30″ wide CPR seat. It is on a 2012 Chevy G-4500 chassis with an ambulance prep package. The chassis has a 6.6 L turbo diesel engine, dual 1450 amp alternators, 57 gallon fuel tank with DEF, 14,200 lbs GVWR, 6 speed auto transmission, and 159″ wheelbase.

There’s lots to see in Booth #4420, so we hope you will stop by. We are also excited to announce we will be hosting a scavenger hunt at the show. Stay tuned to our blog and social media outlets for hunt directions and rules!

On our Facebook page, we recently posted an advertisement from our Florida and Georgia dealer, Ten-8 Fire Equipment. The ad itself featured a Braun delivery to Temple Terrace Fire Department. The unit is a Braun Super Chief Type I Medium Duty Ambulance on a Freightliner M2 extended cab chassis. It seemed to pique a lot of interest on our Facebook page, so we thought we’d share more on the unit!

When Temple Terrace was looking to buy a new ambulance, they had a problem. The department had previously purchased all of their ambulances from MedTec and they were not happy with the quality of the vehicles or customer service they had been receiving as of late. However, over the years, they had developed their ambulance specifications and features around MedTec’s designs. They wanted to keep it easy on their fleet maintenance crew to work on the vehicles, so they hoped to keep many of those established design considerations the same on their new ambulance(s) with a new manufacturer.

Having purchased fire trucks, fire equipment, and ambulances from Ten-8 Fire Equipment for over 20 years, Temple Terrace’s sales representative, Cindy Morgan, suggested they consider Braun for their next ambulance. Cindy understood that the most important thing to Temple Terrace was reliability. They needed a quality-built emergency vehicle that would encounter minimal downtime. She knew that Braun could meet those needs, and custom design their ambulance to meet the department’s previous vehicle design specifications.

When asked about their decision to switch to Braun, Temple Terrace Fire Department Chief, Keith Chapman, had the following to say:

When Ten-8 suggested we look at Braun, we felt it was very important to go visit the facility in person. Myself and our fleet manager went up to Van Wert, Ohio, and we were very impressed by what we saw. The SolidBody Construction to create one integrated module for the box was far above what we’d seen quality-wise with other brands. It was also nice to meet the owners. Like Ten-8, we appreciated the fact that Braun is a family-owned and operated company.

That initial visit proved to be much more than just a confirmation of the quality behind the Braun name. It served as our pre-construction meeting. Face-to-face, we were able to do a comparison of our existing units versus what we could get on a new unit. We were also able to see units they had in production, which opened our eyes to new design points we had not previously considered.

It was truly an invaluable trip. If I could tell another department one thing about switching manufacturers, it would be to take advantage of an offer to visit the factory and conduct that pre-construction meeting in person. There is a lot to sort out in making the transition. Since we handled it on the front-end, we will now have a much easier time with future orders. Braun knows exactly what we want and they’re able to deliver on it.

The Temple Terrace unit carries the fire gear on their extended cab chassis with roll up doors, keeping it separate from the EMS/rescue equipment in the ambulance. It was important to the department to divide these up; they feel it allows their first responders to be more efficient and is more sanitary for the EMS/rescue equipment. The exterior also features electrical equipment, which was essential to their fleet mechanics.

Inside the unit, there are many standard features that were implemented in a custom fashion to provide Temple Terrace the layout they were used to. This includes all bench seating and a locked refrigerator and drug cabinet. Braun was able to integrate the department’s existing electronic key system into these components. The system tracks which employees access the locked compartments and when for accountability.

The unit also features two separate AC units. While at the station, the unit stays plugged in to maintain a certain temperature, regardless of the time of year. This is done through a roof top air condition unit and is important for medications and solutions in the module that are not required to be refrigerated, but may not survive the harsh Florida heat and humidity for long. Inside the module, there is a FT-454 AC unit, which keeps it very cold while in service.

Lastly, Braun was able to take the existing fleet graphics Temple Terrace had developed and apply them to the new ambulance. Seven years prior, the department had redesigned everything to create a cohesive look. Braun was able to replicate these so their new ambulance is identical to their existing MedTec units.

We would like to sincerely thank Chief Keith Chapman of Temple Terrace Fire Department and Cindy Morgan of Ten-8 Fire Equipment for their insight when developing this blog. We hope Chief Chapman’s feedback is helpful to others considering a switch from one ambulance manufacturer to another… and we thank the department again for trusting Braun & Ten-8 to deliver on their new unit!

Tim Hutchens, President of Lone Star Emergency Vehicles, has the following to say about the New Orleans order.

We have had an ongoing relationship for over twenty-years with the City of New Orleans EMS. As big cities go, you would be hard-pressed to find another EMS service that is more passionate, more tenured, more experienced, and has the variety of trauma calls than the team of professionals at NOLA EMS.  Fully understanding the unique requirements of their EMS service is of paramount importance to us as we provide the appropriate tools they need to save lives.

A complete gallery of images can be seen on our website.

The emergency vehicles that serve the City of New Orleans face a unique set of challenges. For one, they are on emergency calls for service 70-75% of the time. In 2012, the department ran 55,000 calls! Additionally, the tough urban environment of the city streets exposes them to a lot of wear and tear. With little downtime, NOLA’s ambulance units must be prepared to hit the pavement … and stand up to it!

Previously, the City had invested in MedTec units for their fleet. When the manufacturer went out of business last year, New Orleans was forced to seek out a new emergency vehicle provider. To mitigate their risk of a similar situation down the road, New Orleans approached their most recent review of ambulance companies with a different attitude. They were looking for a company that would stand the test of time. Furthermore, they were seeking a partner – someone they could build a long-term relationship with.

New Orleans EMS Chief Carl Flores has the following to say about their choice to work with Braun Industries.

Selecting the right vendor for our new ambulances was critical. We had a unique set of bid specifications that demanded a lot. Most importantly, we weren’t looking for someone to just sell us some ambulances and move on. We were looking for a long-term partner. With an initial plan to build over 20 units, and then convert the entire fleet, a lot rested on our decision.

Braun Industries was chosen as the winning bidder because they have 40 years of proven commitment to the EMS industry and their customers. We talked with some of the largest departments in the country and they all had exceptional reviews about working with Braun Industries. In the end, Braun was able to deliver on all of our requests – when no other manufacturer could. They went above and beyond on proving to us they were in it for the long haul.

The first completed Braun ambulance was delivered to The City of New Orleans on February 3, 2013, just in time for Super Bowl XLVII. Additional units are coming out of production on March 11, 2013 and March 25, 2013. All units are the Braun Liberty ambulance model on a Ford F450 Super Cab chassis. Countless customizations have been made to the module to ensure NOLA received all of the features they needed to best serve their community.

Unique ambulance design points include an all aluminum interior; this is new for New Orleans. There is also a custom designed aluminum console to store NOLA’s mobile data terminal, a siren, radios, a wireless keyboard, and flashlights. The box includes a rear module camera and backup camera, along with a GPS feature, which has been built into the MasterTech IV Vista Screens. The box also contains custom mounts for the specific equipment NOLA uses to make it easier and safer for the crew to access it and provide critical care.

Congratulations again to The City of New Orleans on their new Braun ambulances! It has been a pleasure working with you and Lone Star on your emergency vehicles. We look forward to serving The Big Easy and its residents for years to come!

There has been a lot of talk in the ambulance community about the forthcoming NFPA 1917 standards. These will be the new standards for automotive ambulances that were originally set to go into effect January 1, 2013. The document is currently under review, with the next edition due out in 2016.

In order to stay on top of these standards and provide practical industry knowledge in the development of them, Scott Braun, Braun Vice President of Quality Solutions, has been appointed an NFPA 1917 Technical Committee Member. Chad Brown, Braun’s VP of Sales & Marketing, serves as his alternate. Scott joins other representatives from ambulance manufacturers, fire departments, chassis builders, and more to help properly scope out these new standards. 

To date, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 1917, Standard for Automotive Ambulances, has been somewhat controversial. Without gaining widespread adoption, the document is currently open for public input. This public input period will last until July 8, 2013; an electronic system for submitting and processing feedback was recently implemented to facilitate this dialog. The 1917 Committee is also currently considering two tentative interim amendments that were proposed by the National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO).

If you’d like to review the  current version, you can view it on the NFPA website. There, you can also submit your comments.

We look forward to keeping you informed about the latest on NFPA 1917 as things progress!