Haliburton County has decided to buy an ambulance with a single stretcher instead of two.
EMS Director and Paramedic Chief Craig Jones says if they had two stretchers paramedics would have to use lap belts. He says lap belts cause abdominal injuries, fractures in the spine, and head and face injuries in collisions. He says paramedics also have to unbuckle sometimes to help patients in the ambulances.
Jones says one stretcher allows paramedics to wear three-point seatbelts which are a lot safer, because they can help patients without having to take the seatbelts off.