More sustainable, more environmentally friendly, but also bigger. Today the new ambulance station at the Lauwers in Assen was opened. The station has outgrown the old location on Balkendwarsweg and there was no possibility of expansion there either.
The move has little influence on the arrival times. The ambulance is just as fast on the A28 as before. The new location was chosen purely because of the extra space. If the mail undergoes a new growth spurt, this step will therefore prevent that.
With the new building, the UMCG is aiming for energy-neutral accommodation, says head of facilities at UMCG Harry Meijer. “For example, we collect 20,000 liters of rainwater in two tanks, with which we flush the toilet and wash the ambulances. The rest of the water is collected in a wadi.” This is a kind of ditch in which the water slowly moves into the ground.
In addition, the roof is covered with solar panels, there will be an insect-friendly garden and the building consists of one hundred percent wood. The only thing that is not sustainable yet are the ambulances.
The building is also equipped with all kinds of energy-saving technical gadgets, says Meijer. “For example, sensors are installed in all rooms. As soon as no one is present, the light switches off automatically, the power is turned off and everything is closed. Sometimes paramedics forget to switch off the TV and turn off the light when a call is made. From now on, everything will happen automatically. Only the most important devices, such as a computer, will still receive power.”
To top it all off, the brothers can never argue about the temperature in the building again. “The climate is controlled with an app. The people in the building can indicate whether they think it’s too hot, too cold or fine. Based on these findings, the system regulates the climate. If you’re still cold, you just have to put on a sweater”, Meijer laughs.
The fact that a lot has changed in healthcare in recent years is also reflected in the ambulances, says ambulance director Robert van Barneveld of the UMCG. “Healthcare is changing, also in our area. We visit people’s homes more often and take care of them there too. This is done in collaboration with the general practitioner and home care. We are now more of a care provider than a carrier that transports the patients of a to b.”
This is also reflected in the figures. This year, an average of five hundred more passengers were transported in the first months compared to last year. That number then rises to 4,500 passengers per month. That is an increase of twelve percent.