Sept 20: Need an ambulance?

Alexander Graham Bell needs an ambulance. Quick, call 911. Maybe not so fast, since old Alexander hadn't yet invented his phone. Anyway, had this scenario been real, this is the kind of ambulance that would have pulled up at his home for a quick trot to the hospital. Rough? Maybe (of course, it was), but what were the choices?

Once that great invention the car arrived, things progressed quickly. Well, over the next 100 years quickly, just a blink of an eye if you are a vampire.

Invariably, the early ambulances were run by the local fire department and may still be in many municipalities. Here is one from the '30's......

Or they could have been provided by the local funeral parlour, which used a hearse, which was quickly converted to ambulance duty, by slapping on a light and adding a bed........

Now isn't this a conflict of interest? You think that the guys who want to bury you, really want to get you life saving medical help? And how would you feel, when a hearse comes by the accident scene to pick you up......

Look closely........that old Cadillac ambulance is actually a hearse. Talk about being conflicted.

As you have probably figured out by now, most of the early ambulances were car based.

Like this Caddy with all the trimmings by Superior. Not so sure I'm a fan of those windows at the back, so that folks could see the patient taking their last breath. At least they knew, that wherever they were going, they were going in style.

Any car would do, like this ad for a lowly Ford conversion shows......

Like I said, any car would do, but, usually they were Cadillacs, until 1979, when the very last car based ambulance was built. This pic (provided by the Northland Profession Car Society) shows that particular car. I believe it went into a private collection.

So yes, the ambulance has changed a lot over the years. From horse and buggy to luxury cars to the (in my mind) very uninteresting look-alike truck based models that are mandated today.

But I guess, if I ever need their services, I really don't care what shows up, as long as the drivers and the equipment will help. Oh, but those car based models were interesting.

Until next time.