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New Leeds Central Ambulance Station Accommodates 60 Vehicles
THE provision of maximum circulating space has been a prime consideration in the design of the lew central 'ambulance hall at Leeds, vhich was put into operation this week vith an, official opening by Miss P. "-lornsby-Smith, Parliamentary Secretary a the Ministry of Health.
The station has a reinforced concrete ramework, with brick facings outside; :oncrete is also used for the floors, the lat roofs, and for the barrel-vault roof ystem which extends over the area of he ambulance hall.
This design makes it practicable to mploy only five pillars and they are entrally located so that the ambulance all itself is divided into two areas, each 90 ft. by 59 ft. This space is entirely ree from obstruction except for kerbing Lear the wall and near the central iivision which virtually eliminates the iossibility of vehicles being backed into he structure.
In the front section of the hall, which ouses the larger ambulances, parking ; in herringbone fashion, each machine aving its individual bay. The smaller ehicles, in the other sector, are rranged block fashion.
Vehicular approach to the ambulance all is in Upper Cross Street on the )ng side of the building, there being vo, main doors, entrance at one end nd exit at the other. The administrave block, Which fronts on to Sagton Lane, is adjacent to the exit. Here are the offices for clerical and telecommunications staff, also for Mr. F. Large, chief ambulance officer,. and his assistants.
Looking out over the garage is an office for the duty shift leader At the entry end of the ambulance hall, a maintenance annexe provides workshop, battery room, oil stores, maintenance pits, washing bays and boiler room, together with fuel pumps, oil dispenser and air tower. Here the vehicles will be greased and washed, running repairs will be performed; decarbonizing and adjustment of brakes will be carried out.
Where more involved vork is necessary, the vehicles will be sent to Leeds Transport Department where the entire maintenance has been performed in the past. Until September 1, 1937, responsibility for the ambulance services at Leeds was divided between the watch, health and public assistance committees, each providing facilities to meet their own particular requirements. With an increase in the demand for ambulance transport it was decided that a unified service should be instituted under the Health Department and the joint fleet was inaugurated under the control of Mr. Large. At that time the total strength of the combined service was nine ambulances and 27 staff which dealt with some 15,000 cases per annum, covering an annual mileage of approxi. mately 90,000.
When the war came, plans for the erection of a central ambulance station were well advanced but had to be abandoned. The number of civilian cases showed little alteration during 1939-44 but from 1945 to 1948 the number of patients 'carried annually rose front 16,951 to 73,369 and the mileage from 128,294 to 521,438.
There were further sharp increases in the ensuing years, 188,244 patients being dealt with in 1953 and a mileage of 772,115 being covered.
To meet current needs the fleet has been built up to a total of 60, practically all of post-war construction. Of these over two-thirds have Appleyard bodywork on Morris-Commercial chassis.
There are 13 Morris-Commercials each carrying two or more stetchers, 15 Morris-Commercials, each for six sitting patients (or one stretcher case and two sitters), and four Morris-Commercials of the large sitting-case type (which will carry 10, or six sitting and one stretcher case).
In addition there are 10 Daimlers, three Morris Wayfarers and four Austins. For mortuary transport a Chevrolet and a Morris-Commercial are provided, Further, there are eight Morris cars for the transport of doctors and midwives, and for general work in connection with the department.
An unusual feature of the Leeds service is that every emergency call is accompanied by a nurse as well as driver and second man. All ambulances and three cars for night duty have two-way radio which has proved of great value in expediting the work.