Looking for pictures of what the ambulance crews wore in the decades past. When you post a picture, try to tell where it is from and what vintage it is.. Thanks Paul
ambulance attendants uniforms
- Thread starter Paul Steinberg
- Start date
Paul-When I was writing "Humble Heroes" I told my photo contributors I would particularly be interested in any photos of funeral home ambulance crews in uniform. They all replied that they could not find anything like that in their collections, saying that all the morticians seemed to either be in a suit or slacks and a shirt-no uniform.
I can tell you that, growing up in the Akron area, two of the "big 3" ambulance services had shirts with their names boldly printed on the backs. Hospital Ambulance had white shirts with their name screen printed on the back in black lettering, along with their motto: "We Care". P&S Ambulance had white shirts with their name embroidered across the back. A friend who worked for them told me they were always encouraged to get their back to the media...a little free advertising. The guys called them the "bowling shirts", as they were embroidered like bowling shirts. Dunn-Quigley and Ciriello Funeral Home Ambulance wore white shirts with simple patches on the sleeves-they were a conservative outfit and had the classiest uniforms. They wore green pants, which made their uniforms match their ambulances, which were green and white in the 1980's.
There are a couple of great pictures in the Kent State shooting archive collection at Kent State University's library (and you can find the photos on line, just takes some looking). One photo shows a P&S Ambulance EMT with his back toward the camera at pretty close range. There is another photo of a Stow Ambulance EMT with his back to the camera as well, but it's much farther off. His shirt says "Stow Ambulance" across the back. However, all of the photos in that collection are copyrighted.
Anyway, hope that helps.
Scott Reinbolt
I can tell you that, growing up in the Akron area, two of the "big 3" ambulance services had shirts with their names boldly printed on the backs. Hospital Ambulance had white shirts with their name screen printed on the back in black lettering, along with their motto: "We Care". P&S Ambulance had white shirts with their name embroidered across the back. A friend who worked for them told me they were always encouraged to get their back to the media...a little free advertising. The guys called them the "bowling shirts", as they were embroidered like bowling shirts. Dunn-Quigley and Ciriello Funeral Home Ambulance wore white shirts with simple patches on the sleeves-they were a conservative outfit and had the classiest uniforms. They wore green pants, which made their uniforms match their ambulances, which were green and white in the 1980's.
There are a couple of great pictures in the Kent State shooting archive collection at Kent State University's library (and you can find the photos on line, just takes some looking). One photo shows a P&S Ambulance EMT with his back toward the camera at pretty close range. There is another photo of a Stow Ambulance EMT with his back to the camera as well, but it's much farther off. His shirt says "Stow Ambulance" across the back. However, all of the photos in that collection are copyrighted.
Anyway, hope that helps.
Scott Reinbolt
ambulance attendants uniform
Most if not all of the funeral home amblances in my area wore suits day and night even the mom and pop funeral homes. Fire department amblances which was mostly volunteer was come as you are.
Most if not all of the funeral home amblances in my area wore suits day and night even the mom and pop funeral homes. Fire department amblances which was mostly volunteer was come as you are.
Joe Van Volkenburg
PCS Secretary
Paul's question about uniforms
At Memorial Ambulance Service in Buffalo-we wore green dickie pants and a white shirt with EMT patch on one shoulder and a flag on the right shoulder. Over one pocket was a patch w/ our first intial of our first name (in my case J.J.) and the last name. Over the other pocket an identical patch that said EMT. Our jackets were green and on the back in either white or gold script lettering Memorial Ambulance Service. For a subset of the years in the summer we would were a green smock. I chose to have the company name on the back. The 2nd company I worked for wore white dickie pants and white shirts w/ company patches. This was the uniform of both companies that spanned from the 19602-1990s. Paul I do have pictures of me in uniform for both companies--I can send it by snail mail. Are you trying to out fit uniforms for your 69 M+M Volunteer. By the way Memorial Ambulance had over a dozen M+M 48" highboys like your 69. I also have several pictures.
At Memorial Ambulance Service in Buffalo-we wore green dickie pants and a white shirt with EMT patch on one shoulder and a flag on the right shoulder. Over one pocket was a patch w/ our first intial of our first name (in my case J.J.) and the last name. Over the other pocket an identical patch that said EMT. Our jackets were green and on the back in either white or gold script lettering Memorial Ambulance Service. For a subset of the years in the summer we would were a green smock. I chose to have the company name on the back. The 2nd company I worked for wore white dickie pants and white shirts w/ company patches. This was the uniform of both companies that spanned from the 19602-1990s. Paul I do have pictures of me in uniform for both companies--I can send it by snail mail. Are you trying to out fit uniforms for your 69 M+M Volunteer. By the way Memorial Ambulance had over a dozen M+M 48" highboys like your 69. I also have several pictures.
Terry Lange
PCS Member
Kevin Lynch
PCS Member
WOW Steve you look great these days
Private ambulance services around Boston back in the day (60's)
Blue police uniform type shirt; some had badges.
White police hat; vinyl in winter and screen material in summer;
Dark blue pants
or
White smock
White pants
maybe white shoes too! (bucks if I recall right).
Thanks for bringing this up!
Kevin
Private ambulance services around Boston back in the day (60's)
Blue police uniform type shirt; some had badges.
White police hat; vinyl in winter and screen material in summer;
Dark blue pants
or
White smock
White pants
maybe white shoes too! (bucks if I recall right).
Thanks for bringing this up!
Kevin
Searching the archives of the website, I found this....
with the comment ....
I wear mine all the time, at least in the summer.
Ron Devies
PCS Ohio Chapter President PCS Past Vice President
Alliance Ambulance
Thank God they changed the uniform before I started but in the mid 70s they wore white golf shirts, maroon pants, a white belt and white loafers (bucks). They looked like golf pros in a porn movie. When I arrived we wore navy blue slacks with white shirts with a bowling ball design on the back that said "Alliance Ambulance Service". Fortunately I was able to talk the boss into going to a light blue uniform shirt with nothing on the back.
Thank God they changed the uniform before I started but in the mid 70s they wore white golf shirts, maroon pants, a white belt and white loafers (bucks). They looked like golf pros in a porn movie. When I arrived we wore navy blue slacks with white shirts with a bowling ball design on the back that said "Alliance Ambulance Service". Fortunately I was able to talk the boss into going to a light blue uniform shirt with nothing on the back.
Walt McCall
PCS Life Member
Searching the archives of the website, I found this....
with the comment ....
You look dangerously serious Steve. Lighten up! - Walt
Twin City boys in the early 60's
these are the Twin City boys in the early 60's in hospital style whites and a whole lot of attitude...
these are the Twin City boys in the early 60's in hospital style whites and a whole lot of attitude...
Exclusive boys on a big call
old Exclusive Ambulance call by burntbob01, on Flickr
Exclusive Ambulance favoured white shirts, ties, blue pants, short blue jackets and white topped uniform caps
old Exclusive Ambulance call by burntbob01, on Flickr
Exclusive Ambulance favoured white shirts, ties, blue pants, short blue jackets and white topped uniform caps
I would say that picture of Steve was taken back when the ambulance was new in 1970. The bases on the Ful Vue lights was still highly polished....
Paul,
This site has plenty of pictures. You just have to invest the time to go through them all.You can search by year.
http://www.emsclassics.com/index.html
This site has plenty of pictures. You just have to invest the time to go through them all.You can search by year.
http://www.emsclassics.com/index.html
when I started in the early 70's, we wore black pants, white shirts with a tie, and White smocks (long sleeve in the winter). we talked the boss into switching to the Dynamed blue smocks when they came out. A little while later, we got him away from ties (after a psych pt nearly strangled one of our EMTs). In the mid 80's, we convinced him to go with the light blue uniform shirts and navy pants with the company patch on the right sleeve
Hahaha!
Just to clarify, that photo was taken in 2007. I had been "hired" to provide the ambulances for the movie "The Lovely Bones". The wardrobe supervisor called me and wanted my input on appropriate ambulance uniforms for the mid-1970's. I tried on a couple of different items I had around, and took pictures of myself wearing them. I also sent him some photos of other uniforms (which I'll post here soon). This was the famous "Dyna-Smock" of the '70's, which was available in both blue and orange.
The reason I look serious is that I set up the camera on a tripod, and took the photo with the timer. I hit the button and ran around to get in position, and I had just started to actually smile when the camera took the picture. This was the best of the bunch.
After several e-mails and phone calls, what the wardrobe guy settled on was this (below), the standard navy blue Ike jacket, navy blue pants, and light blue shirt. They made the "Ambulance Fairfax Township" patch themselves on an embroidery machine. It looks OK. The blue hat just covers my baldness, and the wire-rimmed glasses were actually mine in the early '80's, and they liked it (the prescription is close enough for me to see to drive or walk). That was also taken with the camera on the timer.
My "payment" for my consultation service on the wardrobe was, of course, the patches. He sent them to me after filming was complete. They are now framed, and hang on the wall (right next to my original-from-the-movie "F+B Ambulance Service" patch.)
Attachments
Last edited:
Guess I'll get to see for myself. I kept reading about this "Humble Heroes" book, but could never find it. So in running my "same searches, every other day" routine on eBay, I found it.
"Humble Heroes" is available from me directly at P.O. Box 103, Blanchester, OH. 45107 for $12 plus $2 shipping. It is also available for the same price on Ebay at:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Humble-Hero...116?pt=US_Nonfiction_Book&hash=item1c234dee44
I also just entered into an agreement with the National Museum of Funeral History for the book to be offered in their giftshop.
Chris-I posted a reply to his early on saying I wasn't able to come up with much in the way of uniforms worn by funeral home ambulance crews. That being the case, I hope you're not disappointed with "Humble Heroes". If it doesn't meet your expectations, let me know.
Scott Reinbolt
Author of "Humble Heroes"
humbleheroes@inbox.com
Bill Carlin
PCS Life Member
You need to find a better video store for your porn movies! However, I for one, have no idea what a porn movie looks like.
