Paramedics in Dubai will soon be able to speed to the scene of traffic accidents and other emergencies in a high-powered sports car that can hit 260kph (or 161 mph), dramatically reducing response times.

The two-seater was unveiled at the Gitex Technology Week at the Dubai World Trade Centre on Sunday. The car is equipped with most of the same emergency and first-aid equipment that is carried in a regular ambulance.

“We can handle all kinds of emergencies,” said Zaid Al Mamari, a paramedic with the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services. “It is fitted with a responder bag, suction unit, foam splints for fractures, cardiac defibrillators and oxygen bags.”

The vehicle also carries a mobile data terminal to key in patient data and vital stats that can be transmitted to hospitals ahead of a regular ambulance arriving at the scene.

Two more Ford Mustangs will be added to the fleet of First Responder vehicles. Currently, the response time for a regular ambulance is eight minutes, but officials said the target time for all ambulances, including the sports car, was under four.

Source:  The National