When temperatures drop to -30°C in places like Fort St. John or Grande Prairie, “standard” vehicle maintenance isn’t enough. For industrial medical teams, a vehicle that won’t start isn’t just a delay—it’s a major safety compliance failure.
To ensure your Mobile Treatment Centres (MTC) and ambulances remain mission-ready throughout the winter, our Kelowna manufacturing team recommends this specialized 5-point winterization checklist:
1. Test Your Auxiliary Heating Systems
In an MTC, the patient cabin must remain at a stable temperature for both patient safety and the integrity of medical supplies.
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The Check: Test your 110v electric interior heaters and your 12v 30,000 BTU automotive heaters now. Ensure shoreline power connections are clean and free of corrosion to prevent “arcing” during cold-weather plug-ins.
2. Battery Health & Cold-Cranking Amps (CCA)
Cold weather can reduce battery capacity by up to 50%. Between sirens, scene lighting, and medical equipment, emergency vehicles have a high electrical load.
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The Check: Load-test all batteries. If a battery is more than 3 years old, replace it before the first deep freeze. Ensure you are using synthetic oil with a lower cold-weather viscosity (like 5W-40) to reduce the strain on the starter.
3. Inspect Medical Cabin Sealants & Latches
Ice and road salt are brutal on the exterior components of a slide-in MTC.
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The Check: Lubricate all exterior door latches and seals with a silicone-based lubricant to prevent doors from freezing shut. Inspect the walls for any “dings” that could allow moisture to enter and freeze, potentially expanding and damaging the paneling.
4. Update Your Onboard Emergency Kit
Winter driving in remote areas of BC and Alberta requires more than just a first aid kit.
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The Check: Ensure every unit is equipped with a collapsible snow shovel, traction mats (or sand), and a high-quality “survival candle” or 12v electric blanket. Verify that your winter windshield washer fluid is rated for -40°C.
5. Tire Pressure & Tread Depth
For 4×4 industrial ambulances, traction is everything on logging roads.
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The Check: Monitor PSI weekly; tire pressure drops significantly as the air cools. Ensure you have a minimum tread depth on your winter-rated tires to handle slush and hard-packed snow.
Need parts or a winter service check? Code Three stocks specialized Ambulance and MTC parts to keep your fleet running in the harshest conditions. Contact our Kelowna shop at 250.861.9000 to stock up on winter essentials.
