Convey help and of assistance to the victims

The VSAV or vehicle of help and assistance to the victims is a vehicle of the firemen French, dedicated to the Prompt help; it was before called VSAB or vehicle of helps to asphyxiated and wounded the . It is not a Ambulance with the legal direction, because it is not dedicated to the medical Transport, but to the emergency help with victim: it brings of the personnel trained to the Techniques of prompt help with the adequate material, transport towards a Hospital being only the obvious result of this intervention.

The VSAV is a vehicle of emergency help which intervenes for missions of prompt help on the public highway or for traffic accidents. It can also intervene in residence on request of SAMU in the event of deficiency of ambulance or when there is a suspicion urgently vital. It intervenes by engagement of the Codis (departmental operational center of fire and help) according to the places and the gravity of the situation, often in residence.

The characteristics of the VSAB (old standard) are defined by standard NFS 61-530 of April 1991 which defines the characteristics of the frame as well, that those of the engine or the equipment of the medical cell. The characteristics of the VSAV (new standard) are defined in the note of technical information (NIT) n° 330 approved by the director of defense and safety civil the March 13rd 2001.

One will notice in particular the descriptive one:

the color is red, except the roof and the bumpers which are white;
it has a reflecting yellow band on the sides as well as alternate arrows yellow and red with before and with the back;
it is provided with Gyrophare S blue, special signal reserved for the vehicles of general interest in priority matter; the road users not making in general the difference between a gyrophare and a Flash-light, certain vehicles are provided with flash-lights;
it can be also provided with a slope of amber lights to the back, making it possible to announce an accident by far;
it has a siren with two tons (pine-pon-pine-pon…), special signal reserved for the vehicles of general interest in priority matter.

This vehicle can bring to a successful conclusion operations of recognition, release and raising, execution of emergency gestures and reanimation required by the conditioning of a victim for its transport, of transport of victims and execution of medical care urgently and reanimation if the VSAV is médicalisé, i.e. if a doctor or a male nurse (SAMU or fireman) equipped with emergency protocols with his material goes up on board.

It allows the care and the transport of a seriously injured or two slightly injureds. It is composed of a cabin allowing the transport of a driver, a team-member and a chief of tackle and a medical cell making it possible to accommodate one or two wounded according to their gravity and two team-members. All the firemen who arm this vehicle must be titular at least PSE1 and PSE2 up to date of their continuing education (including/understanding a formation with the semi-automatic Défibrillateur). The chief of tackle is also titular CFAPSR (road help). He is sometimes armed with a male nurse fireman who can médicaliser according to protocols.

Rules of priorities

As a vehicle pertaining to the help and fire protection organizations (SDIS), it is a priority vehicle of general interest. It thus has luminous special warning signals (gyrophares blue) and sound (let us deux-tons).

The highway code envisages a certain number of prerogatives when the special warning signals are moving (the " 2 ton"), that the urgency of the mission justifies it and with the proviso of not endangering the life of the road users , in particular:

possibility of exceeding the speed limits;
exemption from the rules on the directions of circulation and the parking;
the vehicle requires the priority in all the cases (including presence of a fixed red light, of a panel stop, yield the passage or priority on the right).

/! \ In the event of accident even if the vehicle crossed red light you will be declared in wrong to 50%. Indeed even with the gyrophares and the 2 let us tons, the firemen do not have priority but make a request for priority.

However it is advisable to let them pass, can be will help some ones of your family.

Another road user not respecting the priority of a VSAV can be indebted of a fine of fourth class as well as a withdrawal of license.

External bonds

the vehicle of helps to asphyxiated and the wounded ones: the V.S.A.B of the site Photo-Pompier.com
the vehicle of help and assistance to the victims: the V.S.A.V on the same site.
NIT 330 on the Fichiers-Pompiers.info site (document pdf, 14p, 346 KB)
Note of technical information - Indication complementary to the vehicles of fire and help on Fichiers-Pompiers.info
general Code of the territorial collectivities, lawful section, R1424-42 article.

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