WA Radio Scanner Users' Group

I passed an SJA Merc ambo in East Perth yesterday numbered '136'. Now i assume that SJA don't actually have 136 ambulances on the road in WA , so it led me to wondering how ambulances are numbered.

Is each new ambo litterally numbered in sequence (ie, new ambo - next number on the list) making the above unit the 136th ambo put in service by SJA, or is there some other particular method related to numbering?

Are ambo numbers ever reused/reissued or only used once?

136 would be ambulance 136

Old ones are renumbered once replaced therefore the number continues to stay active.

Don't forget there is about 26 metro depots, each with 3-4 vans plus 11 paid country depots also with 3-4 vans. Then there's ambulance off the road at workshops/back at mercedes having warranty work done (heaps of those) which would be somewhere between 10 and 20 atleast, vans being used by the training section also usually sits somewhere around the 10 mark.

So quite quickly the numbers add up but remember after hours (10pm onwards) there's only about 28 ambulances between Mandurah and Joondalup. Last time I checked the population numbers that equaled 1 ambulance for 70,000 people

Hope that helps

just some information from SJAA (WA) Website

There are over 380 emergency ambulance vehicles in Western Australia - 270 in country areas, 110 in the metropolitan area.
10 Patient Transport Vehicles provide non emergency transport in the metropolitan area.

From the website's 2005/2006 Annual Report



As for vehilce numbers on the site, knowing SJA I could pretty safely say those numbers would be far from correct
As for ptv's the number would be closer to 20 these days.

Just on a different note, i use to hear them call the transport vehicles like transport 1 2 3 etc are they on another channel or have been replaced with different call signs ?

Markmywords wrote:Just on a different note, i use to hear them call the transport vehicles like transport 1 2 3 etc are they on another channel or have been replaced with different call signs ?

They do have there own ch but its only used during the week days as far as I know. Patient Transport Vehicles (PTV's) are always 6 and above i.e. Morley 6 is the ptv from Morley, Central 6, 7 & 8 are the ptv's from Central. Numbers like 14 and 15 are the ptv's that finish at 1am etc.

So remember when you hear a high number that doesn't actually mean there is that number of paramedic crews on at that station at that time


BTW, like ambulances they have a number which is reused as the vehicles are replaced, so therefore also start at ptv 1.

Great stuff everyone. Lots of info for me to absorb. Must admit that up until now i was under the misapprehension that there were far less operational ambulances at any given time. Cheers all.

Wow, only between 10 and 20 of those PTV's I swear I see them often enough for there to be more ! But that's probably because there's a few around where I work!

You probably see alot of the PTV vans around because they are so busy. Those guys work hard.

Rather than start a new thread i thought i'd ask this here.

I notice that some SJA ambos have the word 'Paramedic' on the side, in addition to all the standard livery.

What sets these units apart from other 'normal' ambos?
Are they fitted out or equiped any differently?
Or is it to do with the qualifictions of the crew?
Or maybe a combination of both?

Don't know, but I call any ambo, a Paramedic . Hold habits from cadets.

auntys_eyes wrote: I notice that some SJA ambos have the word 'Paramedic' on the side, in addition to all the standrd livery.

A couple of years back, the words "Paramedic Unit" were added to the sides of a number of career vehicles. I think it was to try to get the public to see an ambulance as more than a taxi service. It fizzled out after about a year or so. There are still a few around but all the new vehicles are supplied without these words.

All ambulances have a least one Paramedic on board and all ambulances have the same equipment in them.

Now all sja ambulances dont have at least one paramedic on board at all times there are all vollie crews.....
I had a little incident with me being hit while i was riding my motorbike in freo and ummmmm serpentine vollies came.....Errrrrr i would of liked a para thanks....

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