Whilst the main purpose of the vehicles will be designated as mobile Blood Donor Units, in the case of an emergency, they can be put into operation as a first response ambulance.

To start with, the rear seats and standard vehicle floor covering were removed and replaced with 12mm exterior plywood covered with 2.5mm high performance, non-slip medical vinyl. We then fitted wipe clean interior paneling including a partition with window in order to guarantee a hygienic environment. Tinted heat reflective film was then applied to all rear windows in order to keep the compartment cool as well as maintaining the privacy of patients.

The vehicles were then fitted with a 140 litre specialist fridge for storing donated blood. The fridge electronically controls the temperature between 2 and 8 degrees celsius to keep the stored blood at optimum temperatures. It will run off the vehicle 12v DC system or can be connected to 220v AC when the 12 V DC supply automatically shuts off. The unit also has built in temperature and low battery audio/visual alarms.

A 100 litre fresh water tank and sink unit with heater were also fitted, the two being interconnected with an in-line pump.

A Ferno York 4 main frame stretcher trolley was fitted to allow easy height adjustment for blood donors, but also could be used as an emergency stretcher.

For convenience, a swivelling attendant seat on a tracking system has been fitted to the floor, allowing the users to adjust the position of the seat to their needs.

A multi-region DVD/VCR player with a built in LCD TV monitor was also included for educational instruction to patients in order to convey the message of how vital it can be to donate blood.

The awning which was fitted to the side of the vehicle will help to provide protection to operators and donors from sun and rain.

In addition to the normal ambulance accessories comprising beacon, siren and roof extractor, important storage space was achieved in the form of a large drawer system.