Biggest ambulance fleet order on record

There will soon be more ambulance vehicles on the road than the State has ever seen before, following a $36.9 million investment for new state-of-the-art vehicles supplied by Mercedes Benz.

184 existing ambulances that are set to reach their end of life will be replaced while 36 new ambulances will be delivered to support additional crewing.

SAAS is getting to work with recruitment of 350 ambos over the next four years – this latest investment will provide our service with the on-road equipment it needs to respond to the community.

The new Mercedes-Benz VS30 Sprinter fleet will be reconfigured and fitted out to suit the needs of SAAS. The first of the new vehicles are expected to be on road by July 2022, ready for the commencement of the first new crews.

99 ambos (paramedics, ambulance officers and 000 call takers) will start by mid-next year, with the first additional 16-paramedic crew expected to start next month based at Parkside before ultimately moving to the new Norwood station.

Of the 36 new extra ambulances, 19 will go to metropolitan sites while 17 will be rolled out throughout the regions. The remaining replacement vehicles of approximately 46 each year will be allocated based on the mix of age and distance travelled.

Norwood, Mount Barker and Gawler will be among the first additional crews to receive the VS30 Sprinter allocation.

Each Mercedes-Benz VS30 Sprinter boasts improved safety features and the latest technology, including improved leather seats for infection control, a power-assisted stretcher, and Wi-Fi for ease of transmitting clinical data.

In addition to the new fleet, the Mercedes Benz contract covers the supply of spare vehicle parts to SAAS over the next eight years.

Comments from SAAS Chief Executive Officer Rob Elliott

This is a fantastic boost, delivering 36 new fleet to our service and replacing 184 vehicles as they hit end of service.

Our ambulance crews respond to 300,000-plus incidents each year, travelling more than 13 million kilometres – this investment is equipping them to get to emergencies, provide great care and if needed, safe transport.