For the fictional band, see The Ambulance.
The Ambulance is an emergency vehicle that has appeared in almost every Grand Theft Auto title. It is manufactured by Brute in the HD Universe.
Description[]
The vehicle is, invariably, a van or truck-based emergency vehicle (usually a cutaway van), featuring red and white lights, sirens and a matching paint scheme, complete with its typical letters on backwards. Throughout the series, the siren sound has varied slightly, as has the design of the vehicle itself. If the player decides to go on a killing spree or get into a fight, and pedestrians are killed, an Ambulance will arrive and two paramedics will get out and attempt to revive the wounded. Typically, if paramedics are killed, it creates more police attention than other civilians.
In all the 3D Universe games, the player receives 20 points of health upon entering an Ambulance. In Grand Theft Auto IV, the player can even dial 911 to summon an Ambulance, from which the player can replenish their health for a price, or steal to regain some, but not all, of their health. Depending of the remaining health, the paramedics will take up to $950 (though the calculation will consider $1000 as the maximum value, it is not possible to recover from an empty health point).
The Ambulance prominently comes in a red and white paint scheme, with the exception of the Ambulance from the original GTA in Vice City and the Ambulance appearing in GTA V.
Design[]
2D Universe[]
The Ambulance in Grand Theft Auto is depicted with a generic pickup-style cab, possibly a Ford E-Series. The Liberty City version has a white and red color scheme, the San Andreas version uses the same scheme with the Star of Life marked on the roof, and the Vice City version is identical to the Liberty City version, but with a green color instead of red.
The Grand Theft Auto: London rendition is based on a European or British model, most probably a Bedford CA. It is always white with a red square and a white cross, as well as two blue beacons.
3D Universe[]
Ambulances in Grand Theft Auto III through to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories are based on various generations of the Ford E-Series chassis, mainly the third and fourth generations. The design of the rear compartment remains the same on all models, but the cabin and details are different.
- The Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories rendition assumes a cabin design similar to the Pony, but having smaller headlights and a thinner appearance, while the rear end features single tail lamps, a yellow/amber lightbar and a single door handle for the compartment doors, as well as a side-access door on the driver side. It has a prominent white primary color on the bodywork, and a red secondary-colored stripe surrounding across the vehicle, with a zig-zag pattern near the rear wheels. It is labeled "Liberty City Ambulance".
- The Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories rendition assumes a slightly older cab design that bears no resemblance to any other vehicle, while the rear compartment omits some of the features present on the Liberty City model, such as the compartment side door, emergency lights next to the front lightbar, and the yellow/amber lightbar on the rear end (this time featuring two unusable rear-facing lamps on the rear end handlebars). The rear end is also different between the two games, with the first one having reverse lights and a single door handle, while the second one only red lights and two door handles. It has a prominent white primary color on the bodywork and a red secondary-colored lower portion, with dual stripes that alternate between the secondary and the primary colors. It is labeled "Vice City Ambulance".
- The Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas rendition assumes a cab design that is loosely similar to the Landstalker, having a dedicated lightbar mounted on the roof, while the rear compartment is much simpler in details than the others, having no handlebars, single red tail lights or two door handles. It has the same color distribution as the Vice City model, although the hood is painted with the red secondary color. It is labeled "San Andreas Emergency", and may spawn with unit numbers "37" or "71" on the front fenders, the sides of the rear compartment, and the rear-right end, although sometimes it spawns with no unit number.
- The Grand Theft Auto Advance rendition assumes a very generic design, comparable to that of the SWAT Van. Like the London model, it assumes a white color scheme, but with a red cross and a red lightbar mounted above the roof of the compartment.
Grand Theft Auto IV[]
In Grand Theft Auto IV, the Ambulance takes influence from the Chevrolet Express 3500 cab-chassis and shares the cab design with the Declasse Burrito.
The vehicle assumes a much larger design than previous iterations and has various details, being silver/chrome handles beside the door windows, along with two antennas and a V-shaped lightbar on the roof (with the latter being the same as those found on LCPD patrol cars). The rear box has large windows and an unusable access door on the passenger side, along with various storage compartments. The rear end has the corresponding access doors and a grey bumper at the bottom that houses the license plate, square tail lights and a large step. There are also various unusable emergency lights around the vehicle and a lightbar on the back. It may also come with an optional bull bar on the front end, which also includes a mirrored "Ambulance" stencil on what appears to be a wind deflector.
The vehicle spawns in a white primary color on the upper half and a red secondary color on the lower half, with an additional secondary-colored stripe around the rear box, with industrial wheels derived from the Burrito and many other industrial vehicles. They are used by the City of Liberty Paramedics and are labeled "364".
The Ambulance reuses the primary and secondary siren tones from other emergency vehicles in the game; however, it has a unique warning tone which is much faster than the regular police warning tone.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars[]
In Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, the Nintendo DS version of the Ambulance assumes a design that takes elements from the 3D Universe and the HD Universe iterations, while the iOS version is largely identical to the GTA IV iteration (though with fewer details on the box).
Grand Theft Auto V and Online[]
In Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online, the design of the Ambulance remains mostly unchanged from its appearance in GTA IV, but the lower headlights work as high-beam lights (unlike the Burrito from the same game or its previous iteration), while the inner tail light units were replaced by white reverse lights. Due to the revamped lighting system, the Ambulance gains several changes to the emergency lights: the main lightbar is replaced with a standard all-red 4-rotor light bar on the roof, while the front fenders and the area above the rear wheel arches have additional red lights. The original lights from the GTA IV iteration, such as the ones on the grille, the sides and the rear end, are functional, with the square lights on the rear end moved down slightly.
The Ambulance spawns in three different liveries, which are randomized through dialing 911 on the Mobile Phone.
- The first one is a white, red and blue variant operated by Mission Row San Andreas.
- The second one is a mostly red variant with white stripes that is operated by the Los Santos Fire Department, inspired by the ones used by the Los Angeles Fire Department.
- The third one is a white and orange variant used by the Los Santos Medical Center.
In the enhanced version of GTA V, the Ambulance has its own unique siren sound, which resembles that of GTA Vice City police and fire truck sirens. The siren set is composed of three tones: a unique primary and secondary tone, as well as an additional warning tone also used on other emergency vehicles. The Ambulance has a standard saloon horn.
Current Design Gallery[]
Version History Gallery[]
Performance[]
2D Universe[]
Handling-wise, the Ambulance is average in GTA and GTA London, featuring good acceleration and grip but average top speed, braking and handling. Their base export value in GTA and GTA London is also considerably high: $1,400 in GTA and £900 in GTA London; however, the vehicle, like other emergency vehicles, cannot be exported.
3D Universe[]
From GTA III onward, the Ambulance is fairly fast for its class and has decent brakes, but is very top heavy and unstable, making it prone to rolling over under rough cornering. The AWD layout provides good traction for most surfaces, but due to the stability issue, it is not very recommended for uneven terrain.
Ambulances are powered by a diesel engine and use a rather smooth engine sound, similar to most vans.
3D Universe Overview[]
Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh) |
Gears | Engine | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) |
Mass (kg / lbs) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A | 118 / 190 (GTA III & GTA Vice City)
96 / 155 (GTA San Andreas — GTA Vice City Stories) |
5 | Diesel | AWD | 2600 / 5732 |
N/A | N/A | 5 | N/A | AWD | Cannot be observed |
Grand Theft Auto IV[]
The Ambulance is responsive for a large vehicle, given its design as an emergency vehicle, a strong turbocharged 4.5L diesel engine and the AWD layout. Acceleration is good, and the top speed is high. Handling is smooth, with soft suspension that may sometimes swing the Ambulance's wide body around corners. Braking is good and can stop the Ambulance in a fairly short distance, depending on the speed of the vehicle, at the cost of decreased effectiveness when taking corners, as the vehicle will not turn under braking pressure.
The Ambulance uses a unique engine sound, being generally noisy at higher revs, but with a moderate volume, also shared with the Boxville and the Mr Tasty.
GTA IV Overview[]
Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh) |
Gears | Engines | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) |
Mass (kg / lbs) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A | 87 / 140 | 5 | N/A | AWD 50% FWD 50% RWD |
2500 / 5512 |
N/A | N/A | N/A | Turbocharged 4.5L Diesel (Badging) | N/A | N/A |
N/A | N/A | 5 | F4 Inline-4 (In-game model) | AWD | Cannot be observed |
Grand Theft Auto V and Online[]
Ambulances in Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online perform slightly better than their last appearance, with upgraded handling, the vehicle has acceptable suspension and is able to perform maneuvers much better than in GTA IV. What's more, the vehicle seems to be more stable under braking, sharp turns and high speed cornering. The Ambulance is slightly more rigid in terms of body damage, showing little deformation as a whole, but is still considerably weak for its size, and the vehicle cannot take as much engine damage. The front guard also serves little purpose, as it detaches from the vehicle under the smallest of collisions. The vehicle has all wheel drive, but still struggles to deliver this extra power, particularly in off-road conditions, where all wheel drive usually serves its usage best. The player is recommended to use this vehicle with due care, as it is not able to push vehicles out of the way as effortlessly as the GTA IV counterpart. The player can also stand on top of a moving Ambulance without the risk of falling off.[1]
The vehicle is powered by a compact twin-cam inline-4 with a mounted turbocharger, laid transversely and coupled to a 5-speed gearbox, powering all four wheels. The engine sound is again unique for this vehicle, carried over from GTA IV, and does not match its standard chassis variant, the Burrito, nor its other service counterparts, the Rental Shuttle Bus and Tourbus.
GTA V and Online Overview[]
Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh) |
Gears | Engine | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) |
Mass (kg / lbs) |
Fuel Tank Size (litres) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A | 87 / 140 | 5 | N/A | AWD 50% FWD 50% RWD |
2500 / 5512 | 70 |
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
6.7 Seconds | 118 / 190 | 5 | FR Turbocharged Inline-4 (In-game model) | AWD | Cannot be observed | Cannot be observed |
Rockstar Games Social Club[]
Grand Theft Auto V and Online[]
Gallery[]
2D Universe[]
3D Universe[]
HD Universe[]
Prominent Appearances in Missions[]
Grand Theft Auto[]
- The first version is featured in the vehicle mission Heist Almighty - Stallion, in which the protagonist has to hijack an Ambulance waiting near a hospital, use it for picking up a DA at another hospital, and take him to a meat warehouse.
- The second version appears in mission Tequila Slammer - Phone 8: Mission 1, in which El Burro needs some props for his friend's movie. The player has to get some vehicles for them, including an Ambulance.
Grand Theft Auto III[]
- Import/Export - The Ambulance is one of the 23 vehicles wanted for the Portland portion of the Import/Export side mission.
- Plaster Blaster - Ray Machowski tells Claude to get to the Ambulance that Leon McAffrey is in and crash into it until McAffrey falls out.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
- Intensive Care - CJ needs to rescue Johnny Sindacco inside an Ambulance controlled by the Forelli Crime Family.
- Madd Dogg - Two Ambulances are parked outside Ivory Towers Drive-Thru Mental Clinic.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]
- Night of the Livid Dreads - An Ambulance is used to send the wounded Yardie member Rudyard to the hospital. It appears only in the final cutscene.
- Morgue Party Resurrection - Toni Cipriani needs to steal the Ambulance that Avery Carrington is in on the way to the pathology labs.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]
- Hose the Hoes - An Ambulance is seen near two burned vehicles and the fire truck that needs to be stolen.
- Beach Patrol - In the paramedic version of the side mission, an Ambulance is stuck, requiring the player to take the paramedic driver to rescue several people on the beach.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars[]
- Under the Gun - An Ambulance gets Ling to the hospital in the end.
- Flatliner - Huang Lee needs to steal the Ambulance that Uri is in at the airport.
Grand Theft Auto V[]
- An Ambulance is seen driving away from the car accident in Pulling One Last Favor.
- Several appear in either approach of The Bureau Raid
- In the Roof entry approach, if a skilled driver is picked, they will turn up in an Ambulance to pick up the crew.
- In the Roof entry approach, 3 Ambulances are seen responding to the blaze of the building, alongside several Police Cruisers and Firetrucks, during the rappel sequence.
- One is later parked outside after reaching ground level.
- In the Fire crew approach, 2 Ambulances are seen outside the building after the crew have escaped the building.
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
The Doomsday Heist
- An Ambulance is seen responding on a car accident in the preparation mission "Paramedic Equipment", where the heist crew have to steal it.
- It is later used in the setup mission "Dead Courier".
The Diamond Casino Heist
- Spawns in the crime scene in the FIB variant of the Heist Prep: Hacking Device mission.
Paramedic Side-Mission[]
Main article: Paramedic
The Paramedic side-mission can be toggled on or off when driving the Ambulance in all GTA III-era games. This mission requires the player to find, pick up and deliver patients to the hospital within a time limit, while endeavoring to drive as safely as possible (each bump further injures the passengers). With every level comes another patient to deliver, increasing the difficulty. Usually when the player beats level 12 the mission is complete (but can be carried on and replayed later) and a reward is achieved, e.g. infinite sprint or extra health.
Locations[]
In all Grand Theft Auto games, Ambulances are scripted to respond to injuries of NPCs caused by the player. In Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto V, the player is also able to call paramedics to send out an Ambulance.
The Ambulance, in most of its appearances, naturally spawns outside hospitals.
Grand Theft Auto III - Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]
- Sweeney General Hospital, Portland View, Portland.
- Carson General Hospital, Rockford, Staunton Island.
- Two Ambulances are located in the parking lot near the staircase leading to the front entrance (GTA III only).
- One Ambulance is parked in front of a garage near the front entrance, and another one is in the parking lot near the staircase leading to the front entrance (GTA Liberty City Stories only).
- Hope Medical College, Pike Creek, Shoreside Vale.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]
- Ocean View Hospital, Ocean Beach.
- Parked at the parking lot (GTA Vice City only).
- Parked near the front entrance (GTA Vice City Stories only).
- Shady Palms Hospital, Vice Point.
- West Haven Community Healthcare Center, Little Havana (GTA Vice City Stories only).
- Schuman Health Care Center, Downtown.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
- County General Hospital, Jefferson, Los Santos.
- All Saints General Hospital, Market, Los Santos.
- Crippen Memorial, Montgomery, Red County.
- Angel Pine Medical Center, Angel Pine, Whetstone.
- San Fierro Medical Center, Santa Flora, San Fierro.
- El Quebrados Medical Center, El Quebrados, Tierra Robada.
- Fort Carson Medical Center, Fort Carson, Bone County.
- Las Venturas Hospital, Las Venturas Airport, Las Venturas.
- Occasionally, the Ambulance can be seen responding within the three main cities in San Andreas. The fastest way to obtain one is to kill some pedestrians; an Ambulance will most likely spawn and the player can steal it.
Grand Theft Auto IV[]
- Schottler Medical Center, Schottler, Broker.
- Cerveza Heights Medical Center, Cerveza Heights, Dukes.
- Bohan Medical & Dental Center, Northern Gardens, Bohan.
- Holland Hospital Center,North Holland,Algonquin.
- Lancet-Hospital Center, Lancaster, Algonquin.
- City Hall Hospital, City Hall, Algonquin.
- Westdyke Memorial Hospital, Leftwood, Alderney.
- North Tudor Medical Center, Acter,Alderney.
- Ambulances can be obtained by dialing 911 and choosing Ambulance by dialing 2 after the initial call.
- Occasionally, Ambulances may be seen responding to emergencies caused by the player, such as injuring/killing pedestrians.
Grand Theft Auto V[]
- Like all other Ambulances, they are found at hospitals in San Andreas.
- One may sometimes spawn at the Paleto Bay Sheriff's Office.
- Dialing 911 for Emergency Services and choose Paramedic to obtain one.
- Will arrive at locations where a pedestrian has been run over or shot, if there is no wanted level in place, such as locations of police shootouts or fights in which the player is not involved. (In Director Mode, they will always arrive in such situations so long as wanted levels are disabled).
Trivia[]
General[]
- Ambulances featured between GTA III and GTA Vice City Stories feature a slightly altered Star of Life, with yet another sexual innuendo of GTA; a sperm in place of the Asclepius symbol.
- In GTA III-era games, the Ambulance's siren sounds are "hi-lo" and "yelp", similar to the European emergency sirens. However, in all other GTA games, San Andreas and the rest of HD Universe, the Ambulance has the same siren sound as the Police Car, Fire Truck and other emergency vehicles ("wail" and "yelp", from GTA IV onward also "phaser").
- In all 3D Universe games, the paramedic's animation of rescuing pedestrians resembles a CPR, an emergency medical procedure that involves chest compressions and artificial respiration.
- In GTA Advance, the Ambulance has a truck horn. Also, if the game is paused and unpaused while the siren is switched on, it will turn into a police siren until it is switched off again.
- The rear compartment of the Ambulance in the HD Universe seems to be nothing but a black compartment with two side seats. This is rather unusual, as the vehicle in the 3D Universe games have the same compartment properly rendered and visible when the rear doors are removed.
- By managing to see through the Ambulance's rear compartment, one can see the black room's length is roughly half of the compartment's model.
- The Ambulance in GTA IV and GTA V has a rear-view mirror despite being a vehicle with no visibility to the back window.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
- When an Ambulance is dispatched, it can be noted that one of the two back doors (sometimes both) will lack the decals and windows. Those which are found in a scripted spawn point (such as a hospital) will always spawn with the two complete doors. Sometimes dispatched Ambulances appear with complete doors, though this is rare.
- This is because the game treats the decal on the door as a window, and the passenger trying to hang their arm out the window will make these features disappear.
- If the player turns on the sirens in the middle of a slow-motion Unique Stunt Jump, they will sound normal and not slowed down.
- The Ambulance, together with the Enforcer is the second most durable vehicle in the game as seen in the vehicle stats in GTA San Andreas. The first is obviously the Rhino.
- Ambulances will never be dispatched in the countryside and the desert, despite the countryside and desert having hospitals.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]
- When turning on the sirens on while performing a Unique Stunt Jump, a special siren can be heard.
Grand Theft Auto IV[]
- The Ambulance's flashing lights reflect on the ground as red and blue but there are only red and white lights on the truck.
- It is nearly impossible to damage the siren of the Ambulance. Unless blown up, it almost always plays properly.
- Near the left side of the rear door, there is a set of letters and numbers, 'AE-86-4AG', which is a reference to the anime Initial D, where the protagonist drives the Toyota AE86 and its engine, 4AGEU.
Grand Theft Auto V and Online[]
- Mission Row San Andreas shares its initials with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a bacterial infection notorious for its outbreaks in hospitals.
- Unlike GTA IV, the rear end features reverse lights. However, the rear lights on the Ambulance are incorrectly colored. The turn signals are colored red while the tail/brake lights are colored amber.
- Despite the Ambulance having a total of eight rotators inside the lightbar, only four actually rotate and flash, the rest do not.
- The rear interior was significantly shortened in the enhanced version, where it is only half of the rear body of the truck.
- Again like in GTA IV, The Los Santos Medical Center variant of the Ambulance has a small decal on the bottom of both front doors reading '4AG-86', referring to the Toyota AE86 and its engine, the 4AGE. Similarly, the Los Santos Fire Department variant has a decal in the same location reading 'RB26-32R', referring to the Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32) and its engine, the RB26DETT. Both Easter eggs may be references to the Initial D series, which featured both the AE86 and R32 GT-R.
- When ambient, the Ambulance's siren will sound as if it was a Police Cruiser. This is the same for all vehicles that do not have the default siren heard on most emergency vehicles.
See Also[]
- Medicar - A car-based variant in Grand Theft Auto 2.
- Air Ambulance - Helicopter counterpart in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.
- Police Maverick - A helicopter which can appear with a medical livery in Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online.
References[]
- ↑ File data:
vehicles.meta: FLAG_PEDS_CAN_STAND_ON_TOP