former emergency medical technician who sits on the Road Safety Council.

But the distances EMTs must travel is part of the reason they will press too hard on the accelerator, Mr. Frederick Tucker told The Royal Gazette .

Saying increased traffic is the major reason for more collisions involving ambulances, Mr. Tucker called for vehicles stationed at either end of the Island, perhaps operated by firefighter EMTs.

Mr. Tucker, 47, of Pembroke, was responding to recent collisions involving ambulances that have left King Edward VII Memorial Hospital with only one working vehicle. The Bermuda Fire Service and St. John Ambulance have been providing back-up while a replacement is awaited.

When called to any point on the Island, ambulances must travel from the hospital in Paget. Government has approved a plan by which firefighters from Port Royal will respond first to calls in the West End. But no date has been set for the change to take effect.

"I'm very concerned about the number of accidents'' involving ambulances, Mr.

Tucker said. "Until six or seven years ago, the accident statistics within the ambulance department were very, very low. We never had accidents.'' At least two ambulances were heavily damaged in collisions in 1994. Mr. Tucker said he is surprised there has not been a worse incident.

The distance "does have a bearing'' on the speeds, Mr. Tucker said. "If you've got a cardiac arrest in Dockyard, you're talking about trying to get there as quickly as possible.

"The first three minutes is very important.'' Mr. Tucker, who now works as a process server, began as a volunteer when the St. George's Fire Brigade had an ambulance and later moved to the hospital, where he worked full-time as an EMT for nearly 20 years, starting in the early 1970s.

The main change since he began driving an ambulance is the major increase in traffic in Bermuda, he said.

The hospital's drivers are well-trained, but Mr. Tucker said he is not sure they always apply that training on the road. "It's a new breed now,'' he said. "They enjoy the speed and the flashing lights.'' In his day, "it was a question of getting where you need to go and getting back, all in one piece,'' he said. "I would rather get there two minutes later than not get there at all.'' Mr. Tucker also said the ambulances the hospital uses are not designed for Bermuda roads. They are too high and short for Bermuda's twisting roads.

Longer, lower vehicles would be better.

Mr. Frederick Tucker