Remote Ambulance Station
A remote ambulance station puts a Ralmed paramedic crew and an equipped ambulance on your site, for the hours your operation runs.
At a glance
- Paramedics and an ambulance based on your site
- A doctor on site where the operation needs one
- Live consults with an on-call emergency doctor
- Vehicles built for rough site roads
- Cover planned around your shifts
The service
What is a remote ambulance station?
A remote ambulance station is a paramedic crew and an ambulance based at your premises, so an injured or ill worker is treated on site and taken to hospital by the same team.
It suits operations where the nearest hospital, or the nearest public ambulance, is some distance away. Your people have a crew on the property instead of one on the road.
The station works to your shift pattern. The crew goes through your induction, learns your site and follows your safety rules and access control, like any other contractor on site.
Who it is for
Which operations need on-site ambulance cover?
A remote ambulance station makes sense wherever work carries real risk and a hospital is not close by.
Mines
Surface and underground operations, where an injury can happen far from the gate. Mines also carry duties under the Mine Health and Safety Act.
Plants and factories
Industrial sites with heavy machinery, chemicals, hot work or confined spaces.
Construction projects
Large building and civil projects that run for months with a big workforce on site.
Farms and rural sites
Agricultural and rural operations where workers are spread over a wide area, away from town.
What is included
What does a remote ambulance station include?
Each station is built around your risk assessment. This is what the service covers; the proposal sets out the detail for your site.
| Part of the service | What it means for your site |
|---|---|
| Paramedic crew | Paramedics at the level your risks call for: basic, intermediate or advanced. |
| Ambulance | A fully equipped ambulance kept on site, with advanced life support equipment on board. |
| Doctor support | A doctor on site where the operation needs one, and an on-call emergency doctor the crew can consult in real time. |
| Site vehicles | Vehicles that handle rough site roads and uneven ground. |
| Hospital transport | The crew treats the patient on site and takes them to hospital when they need further care. |
| Clinic option | For isolated sites, a medical centre run by occupational health doctors and nurses, alongside the station. |
How it works
How is a station set up, step by step?
01
Site visit
We look at your operation, your shifts, your hazards and the distance to the nearest hospital.
02
Proposal
We recommend the crew level, the vehicle and the hours of cover, and set out the cost in writing.
03
Set-up
The crew completes your induction and learns the site, its access points and its emergency plan.
04
Cover on site
The crew works the agreed hours, treats injuries and illness, and moves patients to hospital when needed.
Running a mine, plant or project site? Talk to us about on-site cover.
Why choose Ralmed for on-site ambulance cover?
A crew that knows your site. The same team works your operation, so they learn its layout, its hazards and its people.
A doctor on the line. Advanced paramedics can consult an on-call emergency doctor in real time, so decisions about care and transport have a doctor's input.
More than a vehicle. The same company runs on-site clinics, occupational health and accredited first aid training for your staff.
Emergency care since 2013. Ralmed has run ambulance and clinical services since 2013.
Cost
What does a remote ambulance station cost?
A remote ambulance station is quoted for your site, because the cost depends mostly on the crew level, the hours of cover and the length of the contract.
These are the things that shape the price:
- The paramedic level: basic, intermediate or advanced
- The hours of cover, from a single shift to day and night
- The number of crew members and vehicles
- Doctor support, or a clinic alongside the station
- The length of the contract, from a project phase upwards
- The site's location and conditions
The simplest route to a price is a site visit. Once we have seen your operation, we send a written proposal with the crew, the vehicle, the hours and the cost.
Your options
How does a station compare with other ways to cover a site?
A remote ambulance station is one of several ways to meet your duty of care. The right mix depends on your risks, your workforce and your distance from a hospital.
| Option | Who is on site | Suits | Things to weigh up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remote ambulance station | A paramedic crew and an ambulance | High-risk work and sites far from a hospital | An ongoing cost for the hours of cover, whether or not there is an incident |
| On-site clinic | Doctors and occupational health nurses | Large workforces that need day-to-day care as well as emergency cover | Needs space on site, and can run alongside a station |
| Calling an ambulance when needed | Nobody until a crew arrives | Lower-risk sites close to a hospital | You rely on a crew driving out to you from wherever it is |
| Trained first aiders | Your own staff with first aid certificates | Every workplace, and required by law in most | They support a paramedic crew but cannot replace one |
Get started
How do you set up a remote ambulance station with Ralmed?
Start with a call or an email. We will arrange a site visit, then send a proposal you can take to your safety committee.
Head office
89 Impala Road, Kelvin View, Sandton
Where our crews are based.
Where are stations available?
Remote ambulance station cover is arranged for sites wherever our clients operate. Our other ambulance services and our occupational health services can support the same site.
Questions
Questions about remote ambulance stations
How do I arrange a remote ambulance station?
Call 0861 725 633 to arrange a remote ambulance station, or email info@ralmed.com. We will visit your site, look at your risks and your shifts, and send a written proposal. It sets out the crew, the vehicle and the hours of cover we recommend, with the cost.
What level of paramedic will be on site?
That depends on your risk assessment. We can place basic, intermediate or advanced paramedics, and we recommend the level in the proposal. If your operation changes, for example a new shaft or a shutdown, the crew level can change with it.
Can a doctor be based on site?
Yes, where the operation needs one. Ralmed can place a doctor on site as part of the station. Where a doctor is not on site, advanced paramedics can consult an on-call emergency doctor in real time before deciding on treatment and transport.
What happens when a worker needs hospital care?
The crew treats the worker on site and, if they need a hospital, takes them there in the station ambulance. How your site stays covered while the ambulance is away is agreed in the proposal, so everyone knows the plan before it is needed.
Can the station cover night shifts and weekends?
Yes. The hours of cover follow your operation, whether that is a single day shift, day and night shifts, or cover every day of the week. The hours you choose are one of the main things that set the cost of the station.
Do we still need trained first aiders?
Yes. The Occupational Health and Safety Act expects employers to have trained first aiders at work, and a station does not replace them. Your first aiders are often the first to reach an injured colleague. Ralmed runs accredited first aid courses for exactly this.
What equipment does the ambulance carry?
The station ambulance carries equipment for advanced life support, including patient monitoring, oxygen and emergency medication. The exact kit is set by the crew level and the risks on your site, and we confirm it in the proposal so your safety team knows what is available.
Can a station be set up for a set period only?
Yes. A station can run for a fixed period, such as a construction phase, a plant shutdown or a period of higher-risk work. The length of the cover and the hours each day are the main factors in the cost, and both go into the written proposal.
Where can you put a remote ambulance station?
Tell us where the site is and we will confirm what we can station there and how it would be staffed. Accredited first aid training is delivered anywhere in South Africa, so we can also train your own staff on the same site.
Related services
Services that work alongside a station
Many sites pair a station with an on-site clinic for day-to-day care, and train their own people through our accredited first aid courses. For a one-off gathering on site, see event medical cover.
Set up a remote ambulance station
Tell us about your site, your shifts and your risks, and we will arrange a visit and a written proposal. There is no obligation until you sign. Call 0861 725 633 or send a WhatsApp to book the visit for your remote ambulance station.