Do I Need a Special EMS & Ambulance Backboard for Wilderness Rescues? When you are included in wilderness rescues, you will probably need a narrower board to make sure you can move a patient through tight spaces. And you will also want an EMS & Ambulance backboard setup that allows you to strap them in tight so that they don’t move at all. This is especially important when you need to maneuver patients or when you need to airlift them out of a wild area. What Features Should I Look for That Will Protect the Patient's Spine? High quality EMS & ambulance backboards will include not only separate holes through which to thread head straps, but also cushions for the sides of the head to prevent movement of the head, no matter how much the patient moves. This feature is crucial for those transporting patients in an emergency setting as some patients can become disoriented and might thrash around uncontrollably. Where Should I Store EMS & Ambulance Backboards? This answer is quite self-explanatory if you are in an emergency capacity – in the vehicle itself. But for transporting patients from room to room in a hospital, you might want to store these with the stretchers and the beds as this is where you will be doing most of your patient transfers and the location makes practical sense.

No matter if you're buying an EMS & ambulance backboard for your rig or you're thinking about bringing in new EMS & ambulance backboards for your paramedic fleet, you need to make sure you are choosing the best boards for your patients and for those carrying them. Here are questions you need to answer before you start shopping. What Materials are EMS & Ambulance Backboards Made Of? You can find a wide range of materials for your EMS & ambulance backboard. From Marine plywood to aluminum to polyethylene, you have your choice of strengths, prices, and finishes. Some in the paramedic community are a little concerned about using wooden boards as they aren't as easy to sterilize and they can crack and break, but they are also the standard for many EMS units, so they are trusted and utilized often. What Size EMS & Ambulance Backboard Should I Have? Because you can't necessarily guess the type of patient you will be transporting on an EMS & ambulance backboard, you might want to opt for a larger size of backboard as well as a narrow backboard and child sized backboard. This sounds like a lot, but you need to be ready for multiple patients as well as for multiple body weights. In order to fully support someone, you need to have EMS & ambulance backboards that support them from head to toe, from one side to the next. You also need to account for room for your hands as you carry them onto the stretcher. If you tend to remove patients from their apartments, you might also find that a narrower backboard is the best choice for your needs.