New Part Time Job, my 1963 Superior and 60 years of Service

Brendan Martin

Brendan Martin

PCS Member
About 2 months ago I left the ambulance service I was working for as Director of Operations. I worked for this company on my days off from the firehouse. I still work there occasionally but I have taken on another part time job with the Swansea Ambulance Corps as a paramedic supervisor. The ambulance company became "too much". (Steve Lichtman you and I had a conversation about Operations Management over lunch in Mt. Airy). I left on good terms and that is important. Swansea Ambulance is a paid/volunteer organization providing 911 to Swansea Massachusetts. On September 15th they celebrate their 60th Anniversary. There will be a special dinner with keynote speaker Randolph Mantooth aka Johnny Gage. I will be bringing my 1963 Cadillac Hightop. Anyone who brings an antique ambulance will receive a free ticket. Call or PM me for details. Also of note is that Swansea Ambulance had a 1964 Superior Cadillac Hightop similar to mine. See attached photo.
 
1964 Superior on Cadillac. This car replaced the Packard they first owned. Details can be found on their website. Swansea Ambulance.
 

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here is hoping you get to spend more time with Jen and the kids and play with your cars. the best I could do with the pictures but I'm seeing a heavy bar threw the grill that smacks of 64
 

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Envious

Wow Brendan, I have always wanted to hear him speak. I find EMS seldom embraces it's history but things are slowly starting to change. Amazingly, it wasn't the NHTSA standards that really changed EMS, it REALLY was a television show. When EMERGENCY premiered, EMT and Paramedic training took off like a wild fire. I remember being in high school telling the guidance counselor I wanted to pursue being a paramedic. They didn't know what it was. They kept trying to steer me into being a physicians assistant or a nurse.
 
63 cad

How bout 70's heart-throb Bobby Sherman? anyone remember him? he left a singing career to be a LA Paramedic! He still is active working EMS in LA.training LAPD and San Bernadino PD. He is also a Captain police officer with both, and refuses to retire! now that's what I call addicted!:confused::eek:
 
Ron is right.

The TV show had more impact that the bureaucrats. It was all not only effective in informing the public and causing them to demand higher standards, it was also effective in causing all of us young ambulance jockeys to seek more and more training and better and better equipment. We all wanted to BE Johnny Gage.
 
Johnny Gage

Ron Devies said:
Wow Brendan, I have always wanted to hear him speak. I find EMS seldom embraces it's history but things are slowly starting to change. Amazingly, it wasn't the NHTSA standards that really changed EMS, it REALLY was a television show. When EMERGENCY premiered, EMT and Paramedic training took off like a wild fire. I remember being in high school telling the guidance counselor I wanted to pursue being a paramedic. They didn't know what it was. They kept trying to steer me into being a physicians assistant or a nurse.
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Several years back Barb and I had the Opportunity to talk with Randolph Mantooth. Then Randolph was our Guest speaker at our Banquet (we sat at the Table next to his lol)
 
Kent Rogne said:
How bout 70's heart-throb Bobby Sherman? anyone remember him? he left a singing career to be a LA Paramedic! He still is active working EMS in LA.training LAPD and San Bernadino PD. He is also a Captain police officer with both, and refuses to retire! now that's what I call addicted!:confused::eek:
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And he guest-starred on an episode of "Emergency!". :cool:
 
Brady D Smith said:
The TV show had more impact that the bureaucrats. It was all not only effective in informing the public and causing them to demand higher standards, it was also effective in causing all of us young ambulance jockeys to seek more and more training and better and better equipment. We all wanted to BE Johnny Gage.
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I wanted to be Johnny Gage because he was after a new nurse every week. Although I thought Dixie was pretty hot. We got mixed emotions when we started treating in the field. We were treated like either Gods or Demons. Some thought we were junior doctors inserting our esophogeal obturator airways. While everyone from cops to old ladies thought we were showboating and we just needed to throw em on the cot and get em to a hospital. I remember having to argue about what we were doing and justify it. Sometimes even ER doctors didn't even understand what we were doing. How many pairs of MAST trousers got cut off because they didn't know what the hell they were.
 
Ron Devies said:
I wanted to be Johnny Gage because he was after a new nurse every week. Although I thought Dixie was pretty hot. We got mixed emotions when we started treating in the field. We were treated like either Gods or Demons. Some thought we were junior doctors inserting our esophogeal obturator airways. While everyone from cops to old ladies thought we were showboating and we just needed to throw em on the cot and get em to a hospital. I remember having to argue about what we were doing and justify it. Sometimes even ER doctors didn't even understand what we were doing. How many pairs of MAST trousers got cut off because they didn't know what the hell they were.
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Ron,
ALL I can say is "AMEN"...!!!!!!!!!!!!:applause:

How I can relate to ALL of your quote !!

Every word you said is/was TRUE !!!!:thumb:
 
you hit it on the head!

We all wanted to be Johnny Gage. We were starved as EMT's for more training and to be a Paramedic one day. To be the best at it, and looked up to as somebody's life saving hero!:)
 
Well the 60th Anniversary Celebration has come and gone. I was able to spend some time with Paul Steinberg and Dan Herrick. I also met Randolph Mantooth, and got an autograph. Paul brought the 1963 Pinner Chrysler Ambulance and Dan brought his 1978 Cadillac Combination. I drove my 1963 Superior. Here are some photos.
 

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Great photos,and to echo what Ron has said,we all wanted to be johnny and roy,and strived to get the better training and equipment,and yes we finally got together enough money in our service to get a set of MAST pants only to be told by the government that only a doctor could apply them:confused:and yes saw several sets cut off by ER staff who had no clue what they were,but soon scrambled like heck when the patients condition went sour...
 
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