Interesting removal vehicle: 2000 Braun...

Kent Dorsey

PCS Member / Funeral Director
Friends of mine at Lady's Funeral Home in Kannapolis had been working on securing an electric stretcher for removals... one of the key Funeral Directors came up with this idea for their removal vehicle, it is a 2000 Braun Ford...
I am old school and do not like minivans or cargo vans for removals, but I do indeed like this...
 

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It is indeed a beautiful vehicle, I'm just not real sure I like it for removals. The colors are dignified enough, just too big and boxy for my taste.
 
It would make a great swap meet vehicle. Think that they might loan it to me for a couple of weeks? :D
 
a van is a van weather is has big tires and box in back or not. now be I would look for a older type 2 with single wheels repaint it and you have a rig that you can get into places this one only thinks about. cost about half as much to get and operate. this one will do the job but no matter how you dress it up it screams ambulance.
 
PCS VP Dan uses an ambulance as his removal vehicle also. He says the public just does not want to see a hearse show up to whisk their loved one away. Just another ploy to mask over the fact someone died. When I used to do removals I got a kick out of the hospice centers when you went their to pick someone up. I had to let them know when I was coming so it gave them plenty of time to close all the patients doors so they would not see a removal cot rolling about. Hell man, you're in hospice and you know you're going to die. Embrace the death knowing you will only do it once in your lifetime...
 
Up in these parts when someone passes away in a hospital room to get the deceased to the morgue they place them on a stretcher,then place a tarped frame over the stretcher,sorry but we thinks everyone knows what that is,I have been told the "syndicate " funeral homes around here have a large cargo van and go from funeral home to funeral home to pick up caskets to go to the crematorium.They have told me I can't take it with me so to hell with them I ain't going...:mad:
 
Now I can see that one. Easy to get into any place you want, cheap to aquire and if it's gas not that much to repair. Easy room inside for a lot of people if needed. Leave the lights and paint it black it would look dignified also. But to me the box is just that a box.
 
Here is the removal vehicle from Dan Skivlocke's funeral home.

Does Dan provide ambulance service for the community? If not, I would think that the State of Ohio might frown on his using a ambulance with emergency lighting and ambulance nomenclature on it for a removal vehicle, and not its intended purpose.
 
When my grandmother passed away in assisted living, she was picked up in a clean, unmarked station wagon with tinted windows. Obviously if you look close enough you can figure out what is going on, but I think the idea was to be as inconspicuous as possible, with the intention of not reminding the elderly of the inevitable.
 
I don't get the concept of "not wanting to disturb the old people in a nursing home". I also don't understand the thinking in not wanting to use the terms "mortuary" or "hearse" these days. No one seems to want to deal with their own mortality any more! Death is something that we should be teaching our children about, for God's sake! Today, young families don't even want to take their children to the funerals of friends and family members. We live in a screwed up world.
 
When my grandmother passed away in assisted living, she was picked up in a clean, unmarked station wagon with tinted windows. Obviously if you look close enough you can figure out what is going on, but I think the idea was to be as inconspicuous as possible, with the intention of not reminding the elderly of the inevitable.
Around here, removals are done with a plain, solid color SUV (Suburban or Excursion) or full size van. Tinted windows, no lettering, no landau bars. Some use a plain white van with no windows. Don't want annnnyone to know....:(
 
It would depend on state law on the lights. Here I could be using that right as a daily driver if I chose to. The lights are leagl as long as I did not turn them on. The the lettering is moot. As long as your were not attempting to operate as a licenced ambulance or preform services you were not licenced to do your safe.

I have been asked a few times to transport someone to home or a Dr appointment. My only stepulation in doing so is you provide the gas ,have the person cleared to travel by pov and a responsible family member ride in back with them. I'm not ambulance service just helping a friend out.

In both of these cases it's a registered commerical rig owned by the facility. As long as it is driven obaying all traffic laws of the state. It should be ok. Those lights on the truck were leagl​ in SD would not be in Wy. There you can not have a warning light of any color capable of being turned on from inside any privet vehicle. Unless it's being by a person who's job or volunteer work would licence then to have then. Same for a siren.

My personally just like the smaller unit
 
This is what we used at the combo operation in Brea, CA that I used to manage. I'm sure some hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, etc. would have preferred an unmarked vehicle, but I always felt that this van provided exposure of our business in the community that didn't have a continuing cost associated with it, as in most other forms of advertising. We also used this vehicle as a flower van as well as for DC runs.
 

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Does Dan provide ambulance service for the community? If not, I would think that the State of Ohio might frown on his using a ambulance with emergency lighting and ambulance nomenclature on it for a removal vehicle, and not its intended purpose.

Many years ago (prior to our moving to Arizona in 1981) it was illegal to sell an ambulance that had ANY emergency equipment still on it. We always had to strip them completely prior to disposing of them, including disconnecting the spotlights.

Since returning in 1994, you see all kinds of former ambulances and fire trucks running around with all emergency lighting and sirens still on them. I don't know when/how the law got changed but it did. There is an old North Central EMS Type II running around with Bob's Lock and Key Service splashed all over it. Island Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary in Port Clinton has a Type II that they use for an animal rescue vehicle. I'm pretty sure I posted a photo of it on here a couple years ago after they acquired it. Nobody (policewise) appears to be concerned about any of it. Next time I run into Sheriff Sigsworth I'll try to remember to ask him about it.
 
I'm thinking lot of you guys are young.
Until 1980± NY State required Coroner Ambulances, and they had to carry Oxygen. Somebody did some cyphering and convinced the State Health Department exactly ZERO patients had required oxygen in a Coroner's ambulance over a 50 year period, so the regulations got changed and Coroners saved a lot of money by switching to vans.

Wyoming is a whole different world, with State Troopers who guard their jobs tightly. Friend of mine runs human parts out of Colorado, with lights & siren on some runs. He damn near went to jail for going 16 miles into Wyoming with lights on. After a few months of talking with the Troopers there, the new procedure is he rolls to the state line and hands the box over to a Wyoming Trooper waiting to exhibit all his driving skill. He then follows the Trooper to the delivery point observing all traffic Laws. If the Trooper in the region is off duty and doesn't want to get out of bed, he can deliver to the hospital without lights. Wyoming Law has no provision for authorizing an out of State vehicle to run emergency in Wyoming. Wyoming Troopers just released a Utube video on how they relay blood and body parts in Warp Drive. Job SECURITY.

Far as used ambulances finding new uses is concerned, the ambulance chassis has about a 1500 pound higher load rating so they are coveted by tradesmen.

It's just a matter of time till some DOT metermaid gets the idea hearses and ambulances need DOT numbers.
 
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