Nicholas Studer
PCS Elected Director 2022-2025
Folks - In 2015 I conducted thorough research into the FOUR Pinner Coach Company ambulances in Dutchess County, NY. My intent was for this to be published in "The Professional Car" and requested consideration several times. After several years, I have been told it does not meet standards for the journal and will not be published. I felt the information and photos are useful, and the amount of effort it took to do this kind of "deep dive" into the historical record was worth being made available to the public.
Introduction
The story of ambulance service within Dutchess County, NY is shares a unique aspect of being a major user of ambulances from the Pinner Coach Company of Victoria, Mississippi. No fewer than four Pinner ambulances served a population of approximately 200,000 persons and 796 square miles. While the Pinner Coach Company closed after a suspicious fire in 1970, one Pinner company product remained in frontline service until 1988.
Rhinecliff
Rhinecliff, New York is a small well-to-do village of 1 square mile within the greater community of Rhinebeck in Dutchess County – about 100 miles north of New York City. In September 1952, the Rhinecliff Volunteer Fire Company (RVFC) purchased a second-hand “ambulance type vehicle” from the neighboring community of Copake, NY. For the previous two years, RVFC used a 1942 Buick station wagon donated by the local Cardinal Farley Military Academy. The Company officers proudly announced it would carry “as standard equipment an inhalator, fire extinguishers, salvage and emergency equipment and all types of first aid materials, including two stretchers.” The company boasted of ten men trained in American Red Cross First Aid. However, like in many communities, ambulance service at that time was provided by the local hospital – in this case Northern Dutchess Health Center (now Northern Dutchess Hospital). The officers of the RVFC emphasized in their press release that the new “emergency car” was not intended to compete with the hospital service, but would instead be used primarily for response to working fires and rescues. However, a variety of political, financial, and administrative reasons resulted in many hospitals nationwide divesting themselves of ambulance services throughout the 1950s. For much of the country, funeral homes picked up the slack. However, in Dutchess County, the volunteer fire departments began to take over as Northern Dutchess Health Center too terminated ambulance service sometime in the mid-1950s. On 14 December 1954, the RVFC board approved “use of the ambulance for all emergencies and for transportation of persons residing in the Rhinecliff Fire District…” The RVFC announced the formation of the Rhinecliff Rescue Squad (RRS) to provide 24 hour ambulance service to the village on 5 March 1959.
On 14 August 1957, the RVFC began a campaign to raise funds for the eventual purchase of a new ambulance, with a goal of $600 per year. The Rescue Squad ran fundraising drives at the holidays, and benefit events including professional wrestling with “many of television’s crowd pleasing wrestlers,” various dances, and even hosted the “Hilarious Virtuoso of the Piano” Henry L. Scott. However, Rhinecliff was only able to consider ordering a vehicle until two generous donations in January 1963. Mr. Allen Ryan donated $500, and Mrs. Brooke Astor the famous philanthropist donated $8000. The 8 January 1963 meeting of the RVFC board discussed the sealed bids received for the specifications issued by the squad, with $11,069.60 available in the ambulance fund. Superior Coach bid $12,335 for a Cadillac chassis ambulance. Poughkeepsie Coach Company bid $15,626 for a Cadillac chassis, $12,376 for an Oldsmobile 98 chassis, and $12,484 for a Chrysler chassis. Irving Berkemeyer bid $13,500 on a Eureka-Cadillac ambulance. Community Garage of Rhinebeck, Inc. (the local Dodge dealership) bid $10,492 for a Chrysler chassis ambulance, and $9,692 for a Dodge 880 based ambulance. A motion was made to select the Community Garage bid for a Chrysler ambulance, with the expectation that the ambulance would cost $11,140.75 with a two-way radio installed. The author’s suspicion is that the Chrysler’s selection was based simply on the fact it was the most the RVFC could afford. On 12 January 1963, Community Garage issued an invoice for a 1963 Chrysler New Yorker “Converted into Pinner ambulance per Rhinecliff Fire Department specification.” Chairman of the RVFC board James Loftus announced that a Chrysler ambulance with “Memphian body” was ordered in the 17 January 1963 edition of the Rhinebeck Gazette. Records from Chrysler Historical indicate the base car, a four-door sedan, was shipped from the Jefferson Assembly Plant on 14 March 1963. While previous discussion in the Society suggested the car was a “police package” model, it instead was a standard sedan with certain heavy duty features specified like 15” wheels, heavy duty Chrysler/Leece-Neville alternator, heavy duty suspension, sway bar, and brakes. The author surmises this was likely to save money on “police” features that weren’t needed.
It is important to understand that this ambulance (and the succession of Pinner ambulances that sprang up nearby) was not purchased solely for medical response and transportation. As the name “Rescue Squad” implies, the vehicle and the organization itself were heavily focused on extrication of car crash victims, water rescue, and the like. Rhinecliff itself lies along the Hudson River, and the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge is a local landmark. A public service announcement on 8 September 1960 spoke of the squad’s interest in water rescue and the recommendation to use a spare tire as a flotation aid in an emergency in the water or ice. An issue that came up during the construction of the Rhinecliff ambulance was the mid-construction request from the squad to increase the depth of the dispensary cabinet. The minutes of the RVFC board in April 1963 did not elaborate on their reasoning, but this was most likely based on the changes in their plans for carriage of rescue equipment. This led to a problem where the original four-door sedan had already been cut and stretched 28 inches to accommodate the original cabinet size. With the larger cabinet size now desired, it became apparent there would not be enough room for an ambulance cot to fit along with a raised attendant seat. Jack Pinner arranged with the Ferno-Washington Co. to obtain a specially shortened Model 30 “X-frame” cot that would solve the problem. He personally drove the ambulance the long drive from Mississippi (stopping at the Ferno-Washington plant for the cot) to the Franklin Body Corporation in New York City for delivery to Community Garage and Rhinecliff. At that time, Pinner didn’t have a direct relationship with its customers and used Franklin Body as their dealer. The June minutes of the RVFC board note that “ambulance is here but isn’t complete yet.”
It is apparent the shortened Model 30 cot wasn’t suitable to Rhinecliff, whereby the VFC Ladies’ Auxiliary raised the funds and purchased a Ferno Model 26 “One-Man” cot. The cot was installed locally (likely by RRS members themselves) with two post cups at the rear and an unusual, locally fabricated lock-down clamp assembly located in the front of the patient compartment, rather than the usual Ferno components. The Rescue Squad mounted two Big Beam hand lanterns in the cab area, and filled the cabinetry and compartments with a life ring and rope, Porto-Power, “mouth-to-mask kit,” two resuscitators (most likely the two Stephenson Minutemen the Squad obtained in January 1960 and announced in a Rhinebeck Gazette article), 3 life preserver vests, asbestos gloves, rubber lineman’s gloves, bolt cutters, cable cutters, forcible entry tool, Ferno folding stretcher, three fire extinguishers, collapsible water buckets, asbestos blanket, warning flares, MSA burn kit, hot and cold compress kits, Robinson orthopedic stretcher, Reeves stretcher, traction splint and other assorted splints and first aid supplies. The car was further unusual with the rare feature for the time with a compartment for a Q-size large oxygen cylinder as what was often called “stationary oxygen equipment” in sales literature. Warning equipment included a Federal siren with brake (likely a C4B), Federal Model 17 Beacon Ray, Signal Stat 9008R side marker lights, and 2 pairs of modified 1954 Oldsmobile taillights on the front and rear of the ambulance as tunnel lights. It is unknown why it took six months from its arrival for Rhinecliff to put its 1963 Pinner-Chrysler high-top ambulance in service. On 17 October 1963, the ambulance was dedicated with Mrs. Brooke Astor inducted as an honorary Rescue Squad member. Monsignor John T. Joy of the Good Shepard and St. Joseph’s churches blessed the ambulance while Rev. Raymond Ward of the Rhinebeck Methodist Church gave the benediction.
The Rhinecliff Pinner-Chrysler remained in service for 25 years, finally being replaced in December 1988 with a Type II van. At that time, the vehicle was primarily being replaced due to issues with intermittent braking. The ambulance was purchased by Dr. Steve Levy, a veterinarian and former member of the squad who also purchased the 1952 ALF fire engine that was the ambulance’s stablemate for much of its service life. In 2008, he sold the vehicle to Paul Steinberg, then PCS Vice President. Mr. Steinberg did an extensive restoration of the mechanical components of the car, finding that the braking issue was the result of an improper placement of brake shoes. The ambulance was sold to the author in late 2014, and appears to be the sole remaining example of a Pinner Coach Company car-based ambulance.
Amenia
Twenty-eight miles east of Rhinecliff lay the town of Amenia. With a population of around 7500 in the 1960s, the Amenia Fire Company Rescue Squad operated a green 1954 Chrysler chassis ambulance, noted to be converted from a sedan by an unknown coachbuilder. The 2 December 1965 edition of the Harlem Valley Times listed an ad noting the start of fundraising by the squad for a goal of $13,000 to replace the “old green Chrysler” it had purchased new. The firemen insisted that after “30,000 miles of hard driving,” the “shock absorbers are worn out, and the vehicle does not offer as comfortable transportation to the injured and sick as desirable.” Perhaps owing to the much larger population in Amenia compared to Rhinecliff, $11,141 was raised by March and a 1966 Pinner-Chrysler high-top ambulance was from the local Schmidt Chrysler. When placed in service in early September 1966, the Company boasted it was “one of the most modern and well-equipped ambulances in the area” The article noted that the vehicle would cost slightly more than $11,500, but was expected to reach $12,450 with purchase of a “two way radio hooked up with the Dutchess County Mutual Aid Headquarters.” The ambulance was “set up to carry two stretcher patients, a seat for the attendant, and has a permanent oxygen supply piped for direct use of one or both patients.” “Modern first aid supplies, splints, portable resuscitation apparatus” as well as “a special orthopedic stretcher, and a special 10 ton capacity power tool to force open jammed doors and other obstructions that may be trapping accident victims” were “carried at all times.” The car was also unusual with the presence of smaller beacons at the corners of the ambulance’s roof in lieu of the usual Pinner tunnel lights. A Federal Beacon Ray is also visible in the center of the roof, as well as Signal Stat 9008R side marker lights.
The vehicle was in service until at least late 1975, when a “modular type ambulance” was ordered to replace it. The ambulance’s fate is unknown.
Millerton
About nine miles north of Amenia, the village of Millerton had a population of approximately 1000 persons during the 1960s. While of an unknown age or coachbuilder, it is apparent the Millerton Fire Department Rescue Squad ambulance was becoming unreliable during 1967. The “Millerton Telegram” of the Harlem Valley Times on 6 April 1967 noted “Millerton’s ambulance has been out of commission for a while.” It is interesting to note that during these time periods, the supposedly decrepit “old green Chrysler” from Amenia was used as a backup ambulance. Bill Schmidt kept the vehicle after trade-in from Amenia and offered it to any fire company in Dutchess County that needed it “to fill in when some of the newer ambulances break down or are laid up for service.” By 3 August, a campaign to raise funds for a new ambulance was well under way with $3,500 raised. The “Telegram” noted that the ambulance was used twice per week, and emphasized its critical importance to the village. So important was it to keep an ambulance in town, a “long term patient” to be transported to the Veteran’s Hospital in Albany wasn’t taken in the ambulance as the squad felt that he “would be as well-cared for and as comfortable in a station wagon, if he was attended by the members of the hard-working ambulance service team.” By 19 October, the ambulance fund had rapidly grown to $11,286.90. Not surprisingly after several instances of “ambulance loan,” Schmidt Chrysler in Amenia was given the order for the new ambulance. A 1968 Pinner-Chrysler high-top ambulance was delivered on 19 January 1968. By this time, Pinner had cancelled its relationship with Franklin Body as an intermediary and sold and delivered ambulances directly. Jack Pinner personally delivered this ambulance to Millerton and was photographed with the Mayor, Bill Schmidt, and the Rescue Squad Captain.
Less is known about this ambulance’s features and equipment, but it differed from its nearby Pinner-Chrysler predecessors with a roof vent and four-litter capability. Warning equipment visible in the only known photograph of the ambulance shows a beacon on the roof and an interesting set of four tunnel lights in the front. It also appears to have been the longest of its counterparts, with the Harlem Valley Times on 25 January 1968 citing a stretch of over 30 inches with a “highly engineered chassis extension.” The newspaper went to the unusual step of explaining the nature of coach-built ambulances, and noted that “It is evident that the Chrysler Corporation approves the engineering work of the Pinner Company since the local dealer gives the same warranty on this ambulance as he would to any new car right from the factory.”
The Millerton ambulance remained in service until when it was replaced by a Type II van unit. It was sold on 15 May 1986 to Skip North, a village board member and local gun club president who purchased the vehicle for $340. The newspaper noted that the board “regretted having to sell the used vehicle for this low amount. Although, it was admitted that the auto needs a new transmission.” The author contacted Mr. North in 2015 and learned the ambulance had been used as a tow vehicle until sometime in the 2000s. At that point, he noted the vehicle to be in poor condition and sold it to a now-closed local scrapyard. It is expected the ambulance has been destroyed.
Dover
The town of Dover is 12 miles south of Amenia and had a population of about 8500 persons in 1970. Ambulance service in Dover was apparently provided by the American Legion until 1959. At that time, the town purchased a used 1958 Chrysler ambulance (unknown coachbuilder) and created the Dover Volunteer Ambulance Corps. In September 1964, a new Superior-Cadillac Rescuer high-top ambulance was purchased. This ambulance was “well equipped with first aid equipment, including splints, oxygen, combination resuscitator-inhalator-aspirator, fire extinguisher, and tools needed to free victims from cars or other type accidents. It contains four portable stretchers available for reaching remote places to which are impossible to drive.” In either 1965 or 1969 (conflicting years were posted in various stories), the Volunteer Ambulance Corps was abolished and reformed as the Rescue Squad of the town’s fire department, known as the J.H. Ketchum Hose Company. The ambulance was housed at the fire station within the hamlet of Dover Plains.
By 1969, the 1964 ambulance was becoming outdated. Less is known about its purchase, but a December edition of the Harlem Valley Times noted that a 1970 Pinner-Cadillac high-top ambulance had arrived in July 1970 to serve as “Rescue 1.” A recurring theme by the squad was that the vehicle “came fully equipped with all the vital and necessary rescue and ambulance equipment necessary.” In April 1972, the ambulance was noted to carry a manual resuscitator (“air bag mask”), obstetrical kit, aluminum half-spine board, snake-bite kit, Robinson orthopedic stretcher, and a “Porta Power.” Warning equipment included a Federal electronic siren, beacon, dual Unity M1000 red-faced spotlights, four sealed-beam tunnel lights, as well as Signal Stat 9008R side marker lights similar to the Rhinecliff unit. Also present was a unique Pinner feature found on some of its later vehicles - a row of red marker lights placed in a row on the front of the raised roof.
Statistics provided during each year’s fundraising message in the Harlem Valley Times indicated the ambulance saw approximately 200 ambulance calls and 10,000 miles per year. By 1975, a 1974 Miller-Meteor Criterion ambulance had been purchased to supplant the Pinner-Cadillac, which was demoted to “Rescue 2.” It was moved to a satellite station in the hamlet of Wingdale, with the hope of improving response time to the town. Both ambulances were said to be identically equipped. In 1977, a used 1976 Miller-Meteor Lifeliner ambulance was purchased and the 1970 Pinner-Cadillac was retired. The current Fire Chief, Brian Kelly (his father, Frank Kelly was Rescue Squad Captain when the ambulance was purchased), believes the ambulance was sold to an ambulance company in Maine. Its status is unknown.
The Dutchess County First Aid & Ambulance Association
It merits attention that these ambulances were very well equipped and patient care focused in a time when many organizations had little more than a small first aid kit. The Dutchess County First Aid & Ambulance Association was a unique organization that resulted in progressive standards that placed Dutchess County as a whole well above its peers. The 21 November 1963 edition of the Pleasant Valley Times noted it was the only county organization of its kind, with 20 member squads with 27 ambulances at that time. “They have a meeting on the second Monday of every month which includes either training films, doctor's lectures, or the experiences of other squads.” In December 1965, the association sponsored the “Fundamentals of Ambulance Rescue Course” for select members from each member squad already trained in American Red Cross Advanced First Aid. This approximately 40 hour program was primarily taught by local physicians at the community college, with the rescue portion taught by instructors from the New York City Fire Department Academy. Sections included Introduction and Focus, Rescue Techniques, First Aid, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Obstetrical Emergencies, Medical and Surgical Emergencies, Poisons, and Pediatric Emergencies.
This unique course is notable for predating the National Academy of Science’s 1966 report on “Accidental Death and Disability: The Neglected Disease of Modern Society,” as well as the Freedom House, Miami, and Los Angeles paramedic programs. This first course in December was attended by Dr. Robert H. Kennedy, then Chairman of the American College of Surgeon’s Committee on Trauma. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons “Emergency Care and Transportation of the Sick and Injured” program in 1971 is often cited as the first “Emergency Medical Technician” course in the United States. Even if not formally titled as such, it appears that the Dutchess County course may actually be more worthy of the title.
The photos (not before seen) below include:
1942 Buick ambulance, Rhinecliff VFC
Rhinecliff VFC Group photo ca. 1964
Rhinecliff VFC Newspaper photo
Anemia VFC Newspaper photo
Millerton VFC Newspaper photo
Photo provided by J.H. Ketchum Hose
Introduction
The story of ambulance service within Dutchess County, NY is shares a unique aspect of being a major user of ambulances from the Pinner Coach Company of Victoria, Mississippi. No fewer than four Pinner ambulances served a population of approximately 200,000 persons and 796 square miles. While the Pinner Coach Company closed after a suspicious fire in 1970, one Pinner company product remained in frontline service until 1988.
Rhinecliff
Rhinecliff, New York is a small well-to-do village of 1 square mile within the greater community of Rhinebeck in Dutchess County – about 100 miles north of New York City. In September 1952, the Rhinecliff Volunteer Fire Company (RVFC) purchased a second-hand “ambulance type vehicle” from the neighboring community of Copake, NY. For the previous two years, RVFC used a 1942 Buick station wagon donated by the local Cardinal Farley Military Academy. The Company officers proudly announced it would carry “as standard equipment an inhalator, fire extinguishers, salvage and emergency equipment and all types of first aid materials, including two stretchers.” The company boasted of ten men trained in American Red Cross First Aid. However, like in many communities, ambulance service at that time was provided by the local hospital – in this case Northern Dutchess Health Center (now Northern Dutchess Hospital). The officers of the RVFC emphasized in their press release that the new “emergency car” was not intended to compete with the hospital service, but would instead be used primarily for response to working fires and rescues. However, a variety of political, financial, and administrative reasons resulted in many hospitals nationwide divesting themselves of ambulance services throughout the 1950s. For much of the country, funeral homes picked up the slack. However, in Dutchess County, the volunteer fire departments began to take over as Northern Dutchess Health Center too terminated ambulance service sometime in the mid-1950s. On 14 December 1954, the RVFC board approved “use of the ambulance for all emergencies and for transportation of persons residing in the Rhinecliff Fire District…” The RVFC announced the formation of the Rhinecliff Rescue Squad (RRS) to provide 24 hour ambulance service to the village on 5 March 1959.
On 14 August 1957, the RVFC began a campaign to raise funds for the eventual purchase of a new ambulance, with a goal of $600 per year. The Rescue Squad ran fundraising drives at the holidays, and benefit events including professional wrestling with “many of television’s crowd pleasing wrestlers,” various dances, and even hosted the “Hilarious Virtuoso of the Piano” Henry L. Scott. However, Rhinecliff was only able to consider ordering a vehicle until two generous donations in January 1963. Mr. Allen Ryan donated $500, and Mrs. Brooke Astor the famous philanthropist donated $8000. The 8 January 1963 meeting of the RVFC board discussed the sealed bids received for the specifications issued by the squad, with $11,069.60 available in the ambulance fund. Superior Coach bid $12,335 for a Cadillac chassis ambulance. Poughkeepsie Coach Company bid $15,626 for a Cadillac chassis, $12,376 for an Oldsmobile 98 chassis, and $12,484 for a Chrysler chassis. Irving Berkemeyer bid $13,500 on a Eureka-Cadillac ambulance. Community Garage of Rhinebeck, Inc. (the local Dodge dealership) bid $10,492 for a Chrysler chassis ambulance, and $9,692 for a Dodge 880 based ambulance. A motion was made to select the Community Garage bid for a Chrysler ambulance, with the expectation that the ambulance would cost $11,140.75 with a two-way radio installed. The author’s suspicion is that the Chrysler’s selection was based simply on the fact it was the most the RVFC could afford. On 12 January 1963, Community Garage issued an invoice for a 1963 Chrysler New Yorker “Converted into Pinner ambulance per Rhinecliff Fire Department specification.” Chairman of the RVFC board James Loftus announced that a Chrysler ambulance with “Memphian body” was ordered in the 17 January 1963 edition of the Rhinebeck Gazette. Records from Chrysler Historical indicate the base car, a four-door sedan, was shipped from the Jefferson Assembly Plant on 14 March 1963. While previous discussion in the Society suggested the car was a “police package” model, it instead was a standard sedan with certain heavy duty features specified like 15” wheels, heavy duty Chrysler/Leece-Neville alternator, heavy duty suspension, sway bar, and brakes. The author surmises this was likely to save money on “police” features that weren’t needed.
It is important to understand that this ambulance (and the succession of Pinner ambulances that sprang up nearby) was not purchased solely for medical response and transportation. As the name “Rescue Squad” implies, the vehicle and the organization itself were heavily focused on extrication of car crash victims, water rescue, and the like. Rhinecliff itself lies along the Hudson River, and the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge is a local landmark. A public service announcement on 8 September 1960 spoke of the squad’s interest in water rescue and the recommendation to use a spare tire as a flotation aid in an emergency in the water or ice. An issue that came up during the construction of the Rhinecliff ambulance was the mid-construction request from the squad to increase the depth of the dispensary cabinet. The minutes of the RVFC board in April 1963 did not elaborate on their reasoning, but this was most likely based on the changes in their plans for carriage of rescue equipment. This led to a problem where the original four-door sedan had already been cut and stretched 28 inches to accommodate the original cabinet size. With the larger cabinet size now desired, it became apparent there would not be enough room for an ambulance cot to fit along with a raised attendant seat. Jack Pinner arranged with the Ferno-Washington Co. to obtain a specially shortened Model 30 “X-frame” cot that would solve the problem. He personally drove the ambulance the long drive from Mississippi (stopping at the Ferno-Washington plant for the cot) to the Franklin Body Corporation in New York City for delivery to Community Garage and Rhinecliff. At that time, Pinner didn’t have a direct relationship with its customers and used Franklin Body as their dealer. The June minutes of the RVFC board note that “ambulance is here but isn’t complete yet.”
It is apparent the shortened Model 30 cot wasn’t suitable to Rhinecliff, whereby the VFC Ladies’ Auxiliary raised the funds and purchased a Ferno Model 26 “One-Man” cot. The cot was installed locally (likely by RRS members themselves) with two post cups at the rear and an unusual, locally fabricated lock-down clamp assembly located in the front of the patient compartment, rather than the usual Ferno components. The Rescue Squad mounted two Big Beam hand lanterns in the cab area, and filled the cabinetry and compartments with a life ring and rope, Porto-Power, “mouth-to-mask kit,” two resuscitators (most likely the two Stephenson Minutemen the Squad obtained in January 1960 and announced in a Rhinebeck Gazette article), 3 life preserver vests, asbestos gloves, rubber lineman’s gloves, bolt cutters, cable cutters, forcible entry tool, Ferno folding stretcher, three fire extinguishers, collapsible water buckets, asbestos blanket, warning flares, MSA burn kit, hot and cold compress kits, Robinson orthopedic stretcher, Reeves stretcher, traction splint and other assorted splints and first aid supplies. The car was further unusual with the rare feature for the time with a compartment for a Q-size large oxygen cylinder as what was often called “stationary oxygen equipment” in sales literature. Warning equipment included a Federal siren with brake (likely a C4B), Federal Model 17 Beacon Ray, Signal Stat 9008R side marker lights, and 2 pairs of modified 1954 Oldsmobile taillights on the front and rear of the ambulance as tunnel lights. It is unknown why it took six months from its arrival for Rhinecliff to put its 1963 Pinner-Chrysler high-top ambulance in service. On 17 October 1963, the ambulance was dedicated with Mrs. Brooke Astor inducted as an honorary Rescue Squad member. Monsignor John T. Joy of the Good Shepard and St. Joseph’s churches blessed the ambulance while Rev. Raymond Ward of the Rhinebeck Methodist Church gave the benediction.
The Rhinecliff Pinner-Chrysler remained in service for 25 years, finally being replaced in December 1988 with a Type II van. At that time, the vehicle was primarily being replaced due to issues with intermittent braking. The ambulance was purchased by Dr. Steve Levy, a veterinarian and former member of the squad who also purchased the 1952 ALF fire engine that was the ambulance’s stablemate for much of its service life. In 2008, he sold the vehicle to Paul Steinberg, then PCS Vice President. Mr. Steinberg did an extensive restoration of the mechanical components of the car, finding that the braking issue was the result of an improper placement of brake shoes. The ambulance was sold to the author in late 2014, and appears to be the sole remaining example of a Pinner Coach Company car-based ambulance.
Amenia
Twenty-eight miles east of Rhinecliff lay the town of Amenia. With a population of around 7500 in the 1960s, the Amenia Fire Company Rescue Squad operated a green 1954 Chrysler chassis ambulance, noted to be converted from a sedan by an unknown coachbuilder. The 2 December 1965 edition of the Harlem Valley Times listed an ad noting the start of fundraising by the squad for a goal of $13,000 to replace the “old green Chrysler” it had purchased new. The firemen insisted that after “30,000 miles of hard driving,” the “shock absorbers are worn out, and the vehicle does not offer as comfortable transportation to the injured and sick as desirable.” Perhaps owing to the much larger population in Amenia compared to Rhinecliff, $11,141 was raised by March and a 1966 Pinner-Chrysler high-top ambulance was from the local Schmidt Chrysler. When placed in service in early September 1966, the Company boasted it was “one of the most modern and well-equipped ambulances in the area” The article noted that the vehicle would cost slightly more than $11,500, but was expected to reach $12,450 with purchase of a “two way radio hooked up with the Dutchess County Mutual Aid Headquarters.” The ambulance was “set up to carry two stretcher patients, a seat for the attendant, and has a permanent oxygen supply piped for direct use of one or both patients.” “Modern first aid supplies, splints, portable resuscitation apparatus” as well as “a special orthopedic stretcher, and a special 10 ton capacity power tool to force open jammed doors and other obstructions that may be trapping accident victims” were “carried at all times.” The car was also unusual with the presence of smaller beacons at the corners of the ambulance’s roof in lieu of the usual Pinner tunnel lights. A Federal Beacon Ray is also visible in the center of the roof, as well as Signal Stat 9008R side marker lights.
The vehicle was in service until at least late 1975, when a “modular type ambulance” was ordered to replace it. The ambulance’s fate is unknown.
Millerton
About nine miles north of Amenia, the village of Millerton had a population of approximately 1000 persons during the 1960s. While of an unknown age or coachbuilder, it is apparent the Millerton Fire Department Rescue Squad ambulance was becoming unreliable during 1967. The “Millerton Telegram” of the Harlem Valley Times on 6 April 1967 noted “Millerton’s ambulance has been out of commission for a while.” It is interesting to note that during these time periods, the supposedly decrepit “old green Chrysler” from Amenia was used as a backup ambulance. Bill Schmidt kept the vehicle after trade-in from Amenia and offered it to any fire company in Dutchess County that needed it “to fill in when some of the newer ambulances break down or are laid up for service.” By 3 August, a campaign to raise funds for a new ambulance was well under way with $3,500 raised. The “Telegram” noted that the ambulance was used twice per week, and emphasized its critical importance to the village. So important was it to keep an ambulance in town, a “long term patient” to be transported to the Veteran’s Hospital in Albany wasn’t taken in the ambulance as the squad felt that he “would be as well-cared for and as comfortable in a station wagon, if he was attended by the members of the hard-working ambulance service team.” By 19 October, the ambulance fund had rapidly grown to $11,286.90. Not surprisingly after several instances of “ambulance loan,” Schmidt Chrysler in Amenia was given the order for the new ambulance. A 1968 Pinner-Chrysler high-top ambulance was delivered on 19 January 1968. By this time, Pinner had cancelled its relationship with Franklin Body as an intermediary and sold and delivered ambulances directly. Jack Pinner personally delivered this ambulance to Millerton and was photographed with the Mayor, Bill Schmidt, and the Rescue Squad Captain.
Less is known about this ambulance’s features and equipment, but it differed from its nearby Pinner-Chrysler predecessors with a roof vent and four-litter capability. Warning equipment visible in the only known photograph of the ambulance shows a beacon on the roof and an interesting set of four tunnel lights in the front. It also appears to have been the longest of its counterparts, with the Harlem Valley Times on 25 January 1968 citing a stretch of over 30 inches with a “highly engineered chassis extension.” The newspaper went to the unusual step of explaining the nature of coach-built ambulances, and noted that “It is evident that the Chrysler Corporation approves the engineering work of the Pinner Company since the local dealer gives the same warranty on this ambulance as he would to any new car right from the factory.”
The Millerton ambulance remained in service until when it was replaced by a Type II van unit. It was sold on 15 May 1986 to Skip North, a village board member and local gun club president who purchased the vehicle for $340. The newspaper noted that the board “regretted having to sell the used vehicle for this low amount. Although, it was admitted that the auto needs a new transmission.” The author contacted Mr. North in 2015 and learned the ambulance had been used as a tow vehicle until sometime in the 2000s. At that point, he noted the vehicle to be in poor condition and sold it to a now-closed local scrapyard. It is expected the ambulance has been destroyed.
Dover
The town of Dover is 12 miles south of Amenia and had a population of about 8500 persons in 1970. Ambulance service in Dover was apparently provided by the American Legion until 1959. At that time, the town purchased a used 1958 Chrysler ambulance (unknown coachbuilder) and created the Dover Volunteer Ambulance Corps. In September 1964, a new Superior-Cadillac Rescuer high-top ambulance was purchased. This ambulance was “well equipped with first aid equipment, including splints, oxygen, combination resuscitator-inhalator-aspirator, fire extinguisher, and tools needed to free victims from cars or other type accidents. It contains four portable stretchers available for reaching remote places to which are impossible to drive.” In either 1965 or 1969 (conflicting years were posted in various stories), the Volunteer Ambulance Corps was abolished and reformed as the Rescue Squad of the town’s fire department, known as the J.H. Ketchum Hose Company. The ambulance was housed at the fire station within the hamlet of Dover Plains.
By 1969, the 1964 ambulance was becoming outdated. Less is known about its purchase, but a December edition of the Harlem Valley Times noted that a 1970 Pinner-Cadillac high-top ambulance had arrived in July 1970 to serve as “Rescue 1.” A recurring theme by the squad was that the vehicle “came fully equipped with all the vital and necessary rescue and ambulance equipment necessary.” In April 1972, the ambulance was noted to carry a manual resuscitator (“air bag mask”), obstetrical kit, aluminum half-spine board, snake-bite kit, Robinson orthopedic stretcher, and a “Porta Power.” Warning equipment included a Federal electronic siren, beacon, dual Unity M1000 red-faced spotlights, four sealed-beam tunnel lights, as well as Signal Stat 9008R side marker lights similar to the Rhinecliff unit. Also present was a unique Pinner feature found on some of its later vehicles - a row of red marker lights placed in a row on the front of the raised roof.
Statistics provided during each year’s fundraising message in the Harlem Valley Times indicated the ambulance saw approximately 200 ambulance calls and 10,000 miles per year. By 1975, a 1974 Miller-Meteor Criterion ambulance had been purchased to supplant the Pinner-Cadillac, which was demoted to “Rescue 2.” It was moved to a satellite station in the hamlet of Wingdale, with the hope of improving response time to the town. Both ambulances were said to be identically equipped. In 1977, a used 1976 Miller-Meteor Lifeliner ambulance was purchased and the 1970 Pinner-Cadillac was retired. The current Fire Chief, Brian Kelly (his father, Frank Kelly was Rescue Squad Captain when the ambulance was purchased), believes the ambulance was sold to an ambulance company in Maine. Its status is unknown.
The Dutchess County First Aid & Ambulance Association
It merits attention that these ambulances were very well equipped and patient care focused in a time when many organizations had little more than a small first aid kit. The Dutchess County First Aid & Ambulance Association was a unique organization that resulted in progressive standards that placed Dutchess County as a whole well above its peers. The 21 November 1963 edition of the Pleasant Valley Times noted it was the only county organization of its kind, with 20 member squads with 27 ambulances at that time. “They have a meeting on the second Monday of every month which includes either training films, doctor's lectures, or the experiences of other squads.” In December 1965, the association sponsored the “Fundamentals of Ambulance Rescue Course” for select members from each member squad already trained in American Red Cross Advanced First Aid. This approximately 40 hour program was primarily taught by local physicians at the community college, with the rescue portion taught by instructors from the New York City Fire Department Academy. Sections included Introduction and Focus, Rescue Techniques, First Aid, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Obstetrical Emergencies, Medical and Surgical Emergencies, Poisons, and Pediatric Emergencies.
This unique course is notable for predating the National Academy of Science’s 1966 report on “Accidental Death and Disability: The Neglected Disease of Modern Society,” as well as the Freedom House, Miami, and Los Angeles paramedic programs. This first course in December was attended by Dr. Robert H. Kennedy, then Chairman of the American College of Surgeon’s Committee on Trauma. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons “Emergency Care and Transportation of the Sick and Injured” program in 1971 is often cited as the first “Emergency Medical Technician” course in the United States. Even if not formally titled as such, it appears that the Dutchess County course may actually be more worthy of the title.
The photos (not before seen) below include:
1942 Buick ambulance, Rhinecliff VFC
Rhinecliff VFC Group photo ca. 1964
Rhinecliff VFC Newspaper photo
Anemia VFC Newspaper photo
Millerton VFC Newspaper photo
Photo provided by J.H. Ketchum Hose