Cot Configuration

Jean-Marc Dugas

PCS Member
Here are 2 pictures of my 67 with 2 FW Model 30 in the Patient Care area.

How common would it have been back in the days to have the cars set-up so that they could transport 2 patients like this?

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set two and hanging two. I really can't say how common it was. dispatching would Most likely call the numbers in. I really can't see them keeping both gurneys in all the time. the hangers would be folded up and stored under the floor. but were you going to hid the extra gurney. here is th eset up in the 72 cb and th e73 S&S. the attendent in the S&S would have nothing but heads to see
 

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How common would it have been back in the days to have the cars set-up so that they could transport 2 patients like this?...
In general, not very common. For the most part, ambulances had a single primary stretcher, as 90% of the time, they transported one patient, leaving the attendant seats up for the attendant to...attend! They would have had a flat cot stored which could be used on the right side with the seats folded down if they had two patients. And if it was equipped with hanging cot hooks, it would have had two more flats for that, but again, those would have only been used occasionally. I think it's rare that an ambulance would have had two cots in it all the time.

Now that said, I do know an ambulance service here in MD that did run pro-cars into the late 80's with two stretchers all the time, as they did routine transports and would often "double up" (and double bill). OK, they were a shady operation at best, :toocool: but anyway, there is an example of what you are looking for.
 
Dual Cots

When I worked for Gold Cross in Salem, Ohio the majority of their vans were set up with dual cots. I hated the set up. You pretty much always had to sit in the jump seat because if you sat on the other cot you messed it up. I couldn't wait to get out of there and go to Alliance Ambulance because they had sqaud benches.
 
My department ran two types of vehicles, commercial chassis pro car ambulances for medical calls at a patients home, and for motor vehicle accidents bread or milk delivery trucks were converted into Rescue trucks, by the guys on duty, not an ambulance manufacturer. The old photos of these trucks showed room for 4 patients. I was told that when the U.S. Naval Base in Newport was in it's prime our town saw horrific wrecks with large numbers of patients. All the Fire Departments in our area ran large Rescue Trucks to car wrecks for this reason. When I stated we still ran a separate truck for house calls, and a separate truck for wrecks. By that time all the pro-car based ambulances were gone.
 
Not common at all

My two cents since I'm coming up on 39 years in EMS.:my2cents:

In Pittsburgh, even before the advent of paramedics, mobile intensive (expensive) care units and prehospital advanced life support, most rigs had only a primary stretcher. I have to agree with Steeeve on this, but I am only speaking locally and have not had my feet wet in EMS elsewhere, except West Virginia.

If they did it elswhere, I couldn't imagine how a patient could receive any "real" care, nor could I imagine only 1 attendent for 2 or more patients.

That's why the Federal Highway Safety Administration pressured ambulance companies to accept new standards for ambulance vehicles... virtually putting to pasture the professional cars we all know and love.

I could imagine a "transport only" service like the VA or one of their contractee's doing such a thing, but I've not seen it.

Also, I have never seen professional cars hanging "LIVE" patients from the ceiling (although it's optional), This would have only been done in extreme circumstances... like mass casualty operations and drills for same.

Rick

"The other candidate for PCS President!":D
 
got to love you guys that spend your live in the big city. in those days pt care was given in the car with that long petal on the floor. hang two load two and go like there life depended on getting there fast because it did. call for back up the nearest is 60 miles away. the most I can remember is 10 down in a two car collision. we could only lay two down in each coach so 6 road sitting up. one up front in each and one in the back. two road in on a fire truck. you do what you have to, when you have to.

Jeramie that folding thing goes into that trap door. you find a folding board it will go there to.
 
here is a set of pictures of loaded and or loading ambulances. count the feet in the Bay-Shore shot.
 

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Ed's photos make the point as I had said it. The ones you can tell, they show one patient on a primary stretcher and one or more on a flat cot. The Bayshore photo shows one on a flat hanging from the ceiling hooks, one on a flat on the bench seat, and the stretcher on the ground. Yeah, if you had more patients, you put them whereever you could, I understand. But it's pretty rare to see an ambulance with two full-size stretchers.

I love the first one from "___WOOD PACIFIC". Now, I've read some old first aid books, and even in the 40's and 50's, if they did use a backboard (which was unusual), they were still supposed to put a soft collar on and secure the head with cravats. Check out the great spinal immobilization - the guy's on a backboard sitting up. It's a mid-50's Superior from the window decals.
 
I believe that was lake wood pacific if I remember right . the bay shore is the only hanging one I have. but the guy on the gurney in the last one really gets me to. I would think they would only use double gurneys in back if they knew of the need. like in the transportation of pt from one Hospital to another. but the man in Denver that served in the air force on the U2 base in Az said when the plane landed they dispatched the chase car. a striped out fire bird with the hot engine and 2 CB high tops with dule hangers and duel gurneys. just in case it wrecked landing. then in the case of the factory Pontiac. I would bet they keep two in back. since it only worked on station if they need two they would have them and if not they could leave one behind at the plant. since they would be returning there anyway. but like Steve I can't see a active service having two gurneys in the back. not with carrying the road flats and back board and hanging stretchers to. but now in each of the shots there is nothing but gravity holding the second pt in the car. the exception is the bay shore shot, they would be all tied in.
 
Rebuttal

First of all I must say, as I had not looked here in a while, who was the female in the third photo of Ed's pictures? I think I just saw a picture of my third wife! Wonder what she looks like today? Any way, in rebuttal to our esteemed fearless leader; I must agree with Ed. When there is no back up coming because you are in the sticks, you get creative. We had a Superior 61 also known as split chassis one evening with 3 down and 3 up. I stood straddling somewhere around the bulkhead because there was no place to sit with one on the cot, one on the bench, one on a collapasable in between, both jump seats and the front passenger seat all taken. What is worse, rapid transport with no care, or no care because you are left there waiting on another unit. Personally, I think the feds should have minded their own business and stayed out of it. Like most things the feds stick their nose in, it gets all screwed up.:my2cents:
 
Cots

:my2cents: I remember a day long ago after delivering our Pt. to the E.D. a caddy superior high top backed into the spot next to us and I opened their rear door and there were 6 patients back there, no attendants as there was no room for them so they were up front 2 attendants, 1 driver and 1 more Pt. the ones in the back were two hanging from the ceiling, one on the cot, one on a flat folding stretcher on the bench, one laying on the floor between the cot and the bench and one laying across the floor in front of the medical cabinet. What a " HOOT " I remember laughing all the way back to the station, talk about being packed in there like sardines. But it was also the way of the times " the good old swoop and scoop days " or as my dad used to say " PUHA " the only way to go. By the way the old photos were really good.:)
 
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