Not common at all
My two cents since I'm coming up on 39 years in EMS.
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!"