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Author: Braun Ambulances

Ambulance Testimonial from Chief Wayne Zygowicz

Posted on by Braun Ambulances

When it comes to our emergency vehicles, some of the most passionate promoters are the people who ride in them day in and day out. Working closely with our dealerships and fostering open communication throughout the design and build process, we get the awesome opportunity of developing long term relationships with our end customers. One such individual we’ve come to know and value as a member of the “Braun family” is Chief Wayne Zygowicz.

We recently had the opportunity to film Chief Zygowicz in his hometown about his experiences working with Braun. As you will see by this ambulance testimonial, he is a man that’s passionate about emergency care and his Braun!

Wayne – Thank you for sharing your experiences!

About Chief Wayne Zygowicz:

Chief Zygowicz is the E.M.S. Chief for Littleton Fire Rescue in Littleton, Colorado. A Chicago native and geologist by education, Zygowicz began his fire and rescue career in 1982 when he joined the Wheat Ridge Voluteer Fire Department in the Denver area. He became a certified EMT in 1982, and a paramedic in 1986. After moving up the ranks in several other cities, Wayne was hired with Littleton Fire Rescue in 1990, making this his 22nd year with the department.

Throughout his time with Littleton, Chief Zygowicz has served as a firefighter, paramedic, paramedic/lieutenant, paramedic captain and now the EMS Chief.  He has experience in critical incident stress and was largely responsible for dealing with the psychological effects and aftermath of the Columbine shooting incident. He was also a key driver in the development of the Littleton Fire Rescue Tactical Emergency Medical Support (TEMS) Team and is an active TEMS paramedic.

Wayne has the following to say about EMS,

“EMS is one of the most rewarding and exciting careers that I could have ever imagined being involved with. No medical call is the same. As a paramedic, you are always challenged by your patient’s medical situation and by the pace of new medical technology and information. I am very fortunate to be working in such a great community like Littleton and serving such a great group of dedicated employees. We have a very talented medical staff rich in knowledge, skills and EMS tradition. I can’t think of any other place I would rather be working. Being a paramedic/firefighter is more than just a job, it’s a calling.”

Ambulance Service Instruction Course A Success

Posted on by Braun Ambulances

Late last month, we held our Annual Service Instruction Course at our corporate headquarters in Van Wert, Ohio. 26 dealer and customer participants attended the three-day session to better understand how to service their Braun emergency vehicles. There, they worked on a 2012 Chief XL, 2006 Express and a 2008 Chief XL. Everyone enjoyed the course and we received a lot of positive feedback  from the group.

View our photo album from the course on Facebook.

The course included troubleshooting clinics, vendor seminars, a detailed question and answer session and a plant tour. Participants had a blast on the tour. We spoke to the entire plant ahead of time, so as the class was split into several small groups for their tour, plant workers were ready to answer their questions and help them better understand the Braun product. The tour lasted approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Our awesome network of vendors really stepped up to put on some valuable presentations. Kussmaul presented on troubleshooting the manual and auto eject system. We then divided the class up into groups of 4 to complete an auto eject rebuild. Hoseline covered troubleshooting and repairing the different Heat/AC systems that we use in our emergency vehicles. Utility Body Werks educated the class on the installation, troubleshooting and repair of the Kelderman air ride system. They were joined by Hadley, the company that provides the electronic components of the Kelderman system. Federal Signal discussed a variety of topics, but primarily focused on the troubleshooting and repair of the Federal Q siren. Weldon provided in-depth V-Mux training, which included troubleshooting and downloading. Vanner presented detailed information on their inverter, which included complete troubleshooting tips and details. Lastly, Whelen educated attendees on the various lights we use on Braun ambulances.

All of our participants seemed to find their time at the instruction course valuable. It was hard for them to pick a favorite with so many good  presentations. Although, the hands on activities with Kussmaul and the door and roller maintenance stood out. Even our vendors enjoyed the course, as it gave them an opportunity to work with Braun Service personnel, dealer technicians and fleet customer maintenance staff.

Here is some feedback from a few of the “students”:  

“I am fairly new to service in the specialty vehicle field. After class and the tour of the manufacturing facility, I have a new found respect for the quality of the Braun brand name. It is an amazing piece of equipment. Thank you for the opportunity to come out and train at your facility.”

“Excellent knowledge gained. There were a lot of interesting sessions.”

“The Braun employees that I came in contact with during the training and plant tour were knowledgeable and respectful, a credit to Braun management.”

“Very informative class time and great plant tour! Would like to attend again next year.”

Thanks again to everyone  who came out to make our 2012 Annual Service Instruction Course a success! It is an event we look forward to each year, that wouldn’t be possible without the support of our dedicated vendor network. We hope that everyone will mark their calendars now to join us in 2013 October 22-24th!

Braun at American Ambulance Association Show

Posted on by Braun Ambulances

We are gearing up to head to the 2012 AAA Annual Convention and Tradeshow next week. The event will take place November 26 – 29, 2012 at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. The title this year is “Conquering Healthcare in the XXI Century.”

The American Ambulance Association’s Annual Conference and Tradeshow is an event we look forward to every year. It is a great opportunity for us to speak with private ambulance organizations and their management to learn more about their needs and wants in an emergency vehicle.

The convention offers up-to-the-minute information and relevant topics, formal and informal discussion opportunities and engaging keynote speakers. This year will feature Mike Huckabee; the former Arkansas Governor is currently a host on the Fox News Channel.

The exhibitor tradeshow will be open Tuesday, November 27th and Wednesday, November 28th. The exhibit hall will be open all day Wednesday; however there will be dedicated Exhibit Hall hours during the day.

Stop by Booth # 7, 8, 9 to visit Braun Industries.

On display in Booth # 7, 8, 9, we will have an Express and Signature Series unit. The Signature Series was recently given a 2012 EMS World Top Innovation Award and named a JEMS EMS Today 2012 Hot Product. We will also be showcasing a Humboldt General Hospital unit. The customer vehicle is a Braun Freedom, the ideal ambulance to meet the demands of the fire-based EMS community.

Representatives from Humboldt General Hospital will also be in our booth. They will be recruiting for new staff at the hospital. Humboldt General Hospital has been providing first-class care for residents of north-central Nevada for over 100 years. Humboldt General Hospital Ambulance provides 24-hour emergency medical services throughout Humboldt County’s nearly 10,000 square miles of remote high desert.

Don’t forget to stop by Booth # 7, 8, 9 if you plan on attending! We hope to see you there!

Featured Dealer: Life Star Rescue, Inc.

Posted on by Braun Ambulances
Life Star Rescue

Today we’re proud to feature our neighbor, Life Star Rescue, Inc. as part of our dealer network. Located at 1171 Production Drive in Van Wert, Ohio, the dealership is directly across the street from our corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility. Our close proximity has helped us develop a special relationship with Life Star over the years, providing us important feedback as we roll out new processes and products, working with us to reach out to customers, standing out among others at our annual awards and much more.  They are truly a valued member of the Braun family.

Life Star Rescue, Inc. was established as a service and remount facility in 1998 in a founding partner’s garage. The name Life Star Rescue, was chosen as a play on the Star of Life that is used so prominently in the EMS industry. A year later, they took on the Braun ambulance line and expanded their services into selling new emergency vehicles. After building a solid reputation, enhancing services and relocating to their current 50,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility, Life Star Rescue was purchased by Holman Enterprises out of New Jersey in 2006.

Today, Life Star Rescue represents the Braun ambulance brand in Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan. They also cover counties in eastern Illinois and northwest/southwest Ohio. Their knowledgeable emergency vehicle sales staff includes Troy Meeker for Ohio, Tony Crum for Indiana, Kris Crawley and Eric Crawley for Michigan, Rick Bell for Kentucky and Nick Boles for Illinois. General Manager, Lyle Halstead oversees the organization locally. The dealership is also a Braun Authorized Service Center.

One of the big benefits of being located so close to the Braun facility is having the ability to bring customers to the plant. Life Star focuses on having an open line of communication with departments throughout the process and often brings them over to Braun to see their unit being built first hand. The quality of the Braun product and the ability to customize a unit to meet the customer’s exact requirements is a determining factor in their ongoing relationship with us.

When we asked Lyle if he could give us an example of a great experience of working with Braun, he had the following to say: “One of Rick Bell’s customers thanked the Braun product for saving their lives following an accident. An 80,000 lb asphalt truck t-boned the Braun ambulance the squad was operating.” The reputation and quality of the Braun product was put to the test, and it delivered.

Life Star also appreciates how accommodating the team at Braun is. An example of this was when a Braun Regional Sales Manager recently modified two orders late in the production process to meet additional requests from the customer. They have enjoyed being a Braun dealer for 13 years and look forward to representing the line for many, many more years to come.

If you’d like to read more on Life Star Rescue, you can visit their newly redesigned website at www.LifeStarRescue.comfor tons of information. You can also reach them toll free at 888-607-6655.

Featured Dealer: Keystone Emergency Vehicles, Inc.

Posted on by Braun Ambulances
Keystone Emergency Vehicles

Keystone Emergency Vehicles, Inc. has been responding to the needs of lifesaving professionals since 1988. Since the beginning, they have been a Braun ambulance dealer and are also a Braun Authorized Service Center. Located at 4749 Carlisle Road in Dover, PA, the dealership serves counties in eastern and central Pennsylvania and the state of Maryland.

Keystone sells new and used emergency vehicles and is part of the PA COSTARS program. Sales consultant, Tom Fulmer, serves the greater Philadelphia area. A family company, Alan Wallace – Sales Manager, and Andrew Wallace – Sales Consultant, also assist customers in finding the perfect emergency vehicle. They often find that the Braun name meets these expectations by consistently delivering a quality product with a solid reputation behind it.

Along with their main service facility capabilities, the dealership provides on-site service. Their mission is to keep customers up and running, with minimum downtime and the convenience of service at their station. The dealership also does a large number of remounts and offers custom graphics.

Located just a state away from Braun’s corporate headquarters, Keystone has toured the manufacturing facility over 30 times. It is one of the things that impresses them most about the Braun brand. The dedication of the employees and commitment to quality, safety and innovation is apparent with every visit.

When asked what Braun model they like best, Sales Manager, Alan Wallace named the Chief XL. The model provides the optimum in room, storage and comfort and has one of the highest usable payloads in the industry. He also likes the new EZ Door Forward feature that places Braun’s EZ Glide Sliding door curbside, creating even more room in the module.

Over the years, Keystone Emergency Vehicles has been honored with several Sales Goal Achievement awards from Braun. They have also developed a reputation locally with customers as a leading emergency vehicles sales & service provider. Repeat customers shop exclusively with them to receive first-class customer service from the dealership and an industry leading product from Braun Industries.

If you’d like to know more about Keystone Emergency Vehicles, you can visit them online at www.Keystone-Emergency.com. You can also give them a call toll free at 800-548-9502 or locally at 717-292-7977. They will also be available at the 2013 Fire Expo in Harrisburg, PA.

Featured Dealer: North Central Ambulance Sales & Service

Posted on by Braun Ambulances

It’s been awhile since we’ve featured a member of our dealer network. Today, we want to highlight North Central Ambulance Sales and Service. North Central is located at 18448 County Road 9 in Lester Prairie, Minnesota. They cover counties in northern/eastern Iowa and northern Illinois, along with the states of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. They are also a Braun Authorized Service Center and Remount Facility.

North Central Ambulance Sales and Service was founded in 1964. Today, they are the upper Midwest’s largest emergency vehicle dealership. They are members of Ford’s Qualified Vehicle Modifier program, Minnesota’s Alliance of Automotive Service Providers, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and the National Truck Equipment Association. They are also a Certified Emergency Vehicle Technician and PPG Authorized Collision Repair Facility.

Before selling emergency vehicles, North Central Ambulances Sales and Service was a repair facility. They performed preventative maintenance and other repairs for ambulance fleets in their area. Some of their customers operated Braun ambulances. While servicing these units in the 1980s, North Central developed a relationship with Braun. They appreciated the attention to serviceability, along with the quality and durability their customers enjoyed operating Braun fleets. This attention to quality, design and durability is initially what attracted them to the Braun brand.

When North Central branched out and began selling emergency vehicles 24 years ago, one of the first lines they carried was Braun. Today, their knowledgeable and dedicated sales staff is committed to finding the perfect emergency vehicle to meet their customers’ needs and budget. Andy Heimerl covers Wisconsin. Steve Larson calls on Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota. Bob Baxa oversees Illinois. Owner, Fred Pawelk serves the Minneapolis/St.Paul area and other select accounts.

The dealership truly enjoys being part of the Braun family – and we love that they are! The engineering, integrity of the process, construction and safety of the module, remountability and people are all factors that play into their decision to continue to carry and service the brand. When asked what their favorite Braun innovation or feature is, they quickly say the SolidBody™ Construction. “The SolidBody™ Construction offers safety to our customers and their customers – the patients. SolidBody™ is unique to the industry. All other manufacturers’ methods of construction are very similar, with the use of extrusions, tapes, glues, etc. The engineering behind the SolidBody™ provides a safety factor that no one in the industry can match. If I were to ride in an ambulance or have a loved one transported in one, I would feel much more comfortable in a Braun,” says owner, Fred Pawelk.

North Central Ambulance Sales & Service was recently honored at our Annual Awards Reception. The dealership received a Gold Dealer Award and Sales Performance Award. They were also highlighted with the Most Sales in A Year and the Best Sales Presentation.

To learn more about the dealership, visit their website at www.NorthCentralAmbulance.com or call 320-395-2911. They will also have representatives on hand at the upcoming EMS shows: Iowa EMS Association, South Dakota EMS Association, Arrowhead EMS Association and Wisconsin EMS Association.

Braun Industries Recognizes Dealer Network Standouts

Posted on by Braun Ambulances

So much of our success as an ambulance manufacturer relies on the first-class network of emergency vehicle dealerships that partner with us. Constantly promoting our brand and helping customers select the right Braun ambulance to meet their needs and budget, our dealers mean a lot to us. Each year, we recognize their outstanding contributions at an award ceremony during our Annual Sales Meeting.

This year, the event was held on October 10, 2012. The close to a great 3 day session, we had a vendor reception with hors d’oeuvres, the awards presentation and a dinner. Dressed in their finest, our dealer network gathered with Braun management to honor the best among the group and celebrate their achievements.

Check out pictures of this year’s event on our Facebook page.

Each year, we ask our dealer sales representatives to commit to a number of emergency vehicles they will sell during the next model year. If a representative meets or exceeds this number, they are honored as a Commitment Winner. This year’s Commitment Winners include: Cindy Morgan of Ten-8 Fire Equipment, Pete Caliendo of All Area Fire & Rescue, Rick Bell of Life Star Rescue, Bob Reilly of North Eastern Rescue Vehicles, Andy Heimerl of North Central Ambulance Sales, Mike Bowman of Penn Care, and Kevin Hergott of Fireguard.

Our MY2012 Sales Champions award showcases the sales representatives that sold the most emergency vehicles in their region. Our Region 1 winner is Bob Reilly of North Eastern Rescue Vehicles. Region 2 is Rick Bell of Life Star Rescue. Lastly, Region 3 was presented to Tim Hutchens of Lone Star Emergency Vehicles.

The Gold Dealer Award is given to our dealerships that achieve or surpass their sales goal for the year. MY2012 winners include: North Eastern Rescue Vehicles, Autotronics, All Area Fire & Rescue, Ten-8 Fire Equipment, Penn Care, and North Central Ambulance Sales.

Our Dealer of the Year is Penn Care. Penn Care had the highest sales volume for model year 2012. Owner, Don Bloom and Sales Manager, Taylor Pease accepted the award on behalf of the dealership.

Lastly, we were very proud to announce our inaugural President’s Club winner. Bob Reilly, co-owner of North Eastern Rescue Vehicles, is the first inductee to this elite group. He was honored for his tremendous impact on Braun Industries and will be featured in a separate blog highlighting all of his accomplishments while working in the EMS industry and with Braun.

Congratulations again to all of our winners! We are proud to have you as part of our dealer network and the Braun family, and we are so thankful for your contributions!

Braun Industries Holds Annual Sales Meeting

Posted on by Braun Ambulances
Braun Strong Annual Sales Meeting Group Snapshot

Each year, we gather together with our dealer network for our Annual Sales Meeting. This year, the event themed as “Braun Strong” was held October 8 – 10th. Dealer principles, sales managers and sales representatives joined Braun Industries management for updates on the Braun brand, continued education and professional development, networking and fun!

You can check out more images of the event on our Facebook page.

The three day event had lots to offer for both Braun employees and dealer participants. Educational session highlights included a State of the Company Address from Kim Braun – President, a Sales & Marketing update and report from Chad Brown – VP of Sales & Marketing, Customer Service & Warranty updates from Jeff Holtzclaw – Service Manager, NFPA 1917 & AMD updates from Scott Braun – VP of Quality Solutions, and a Co-Operative Purchasing presentation.

Braun also brought in several customers to facilitate a question and answer session with dealers. Panel participants included Neil Blackington, Deputy Superintendent of Boston EMS, Wayne Zigowycz, EMS Chief at Littleton Fire Rescue (Littleton, CO), and Dan Cimini, Asst. Fire Chief (retired) from Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue. They discussed how they liked to be sold to and how the economy affects their purchasing decisions. Lots of thanks to these guys for joining us! Their session was well received and regarded as a true highlight of the meeting.

Another hit was the unveiling of our model year 2013 products. Three units were parked inside the Grand Wayne Convention Center to give dealers an up close look at the new innovations Braun will be rolling out in 2013. Dealers had a chance to discuss the units and their features with Scott Braun, Kim Braun, Regional Sales Managers and other Braun staff members as they networked with one another. Stay tuned as we release more information on these in January 2013!

Braun Strong Vendor Reception 2012

We closed the sales meeting with an awesome vendor reception and awards ceremony. 19 vendors came out to showcase their products and service to our dealer network. We are so thankful for their participation! Our awards ceremony focused on the dealerships and sales representatives that made a big impact for Braun in 2012. We are so excited for all of our winners and will be posting a separate blog with a complete list of them soon.

With the 2012 Annual Sales Meeting behind us, it’s easy to say we’re already excited to do it again next year! We had a great time getting together with everyone and working collectively to grow the Braun brand. We are energized for 2013 and can’t wait to see where it takes us! Thanks to everyone who joined us to make this year’s Braun Strong meeting a success.

Kussmaul Electronics Will Participate in Service Instruction Course

Posted on by Braun Ambulances

We are happy to announce that Kussmaul Electronics will be joining our Annual Service Instruction Course this year.

Kussmaul Electronics was started in 1967, providing consulting engineering and design services in the field of servomechanisms and automatic control. Recognizing a need for complete automatic battery chargers that would be highly reliable, dependable, rugged and economic, the company designed such a unit. Originally designed for fire departments and emergency services, these products have grown into a complete line with wide application.

Today, their full product lineup includes battery charges/savers, battery indicators/meters, ejection units, air compressors, kits and packages, solar power charging, 120/120 VAC equipment, DC power management, installation accessories, and engine/vehicle accessories. All of their rugged electronic power products are designed to keep vehicles energized and ready to respond when seconds count, making them a perfect fit for Braun ambulances.

Kussmaul Electronics will present at our 2012 Annual Service Instruction Course. The course will be held October 23-25. The event will be held at our headquarters, located at 1170 Production Drive, Van Wert, OH 45891. The 3 day course is open to our dealers and customers and includes troubleshooting clinics, vendor seminars, plant tours, and a detailed question and answer session. The cost of the class is covered by Braun Industries and supported by awesome vendors, such as Kussmaul Electronics.

If you are interested in attending, please contact a member of our Service Team at 877-647-9005.

Kelderman & Vanner Join Instruction Course Lineup

Posted on by Braun Ambulances

More vendors have confirmed their participation in our Annual Service Instruction Course, and we’re excited to share them with you!

Kelderman Manufacturing Logo

The first is Kelderman Manufacturing, Inc. Founded in 1970 on Midwestern values, the company initially focused on equipment for the agricultural industry and emerged as a leading innovator. Twenty years later, founder Gary Kelderman established Kelderman Air Suspension Systems when he was unhappy with the ride on his personal Dodge. Today, these air suspension systems are extremely popular. Kelderman provides the air suspension that is utilized on the majority of Braun ambulances. Their systems allow medical personnel easier loading and unloading capabilities, as well as a smoother ride for patients during transport. Joining them at our course will be Hadley Electric. Hadley produces the electrical part of the Kelderman system and will be presenting with them.

Vanner Incorporated Logo

Our second vendor confirmation this week is Vanner. Vanner has been delivering engineering excellence in power conversion and power transformation for commercial vehicles since 1977. Vanner inverters are the industry standard and designed specifically for the EMS/Ambulance industry. Their state-of-the-art inverters provide critical DC power, inverter/chargers, emergency flashers and battery isolators. We primarily use Vanner’s inverter and inverter converter combination unit on our ambulances.

We are very excited to have both Kelderman and Vanner commit to our Instruction Course. Our “Built for Life” ambulances are great because of the awesome bits and pieces that come from vendors like these guys. We will be sharing the additional vendors joining our Annual Service Instruction Course to the blog as they confirm; this year’s class is already shaping up nicely!

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