AN UP-TO-DATE AMBULANCE SERVICE.
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Good Use • of a Guy Vehicle by Rotherham Corporation.
THE MOTOR ambulance for the rapid removal of persons suffering from injuries or sickness is quickly becoming a recognized -factor in the We of communities of even comparatively small size, and one has only to .study the performances ef a number of these vehicles to realize the vast amount of good work which is being done. The Corporation of Rotherham has just taken ever an ambulance on a Guy chassis, which can be described as the last Word in this direction, and has already been inspected by several interested authorities, The standard Guy has been adapted for ambulance work by fitting the springs under the axles instead of above and this has had the effect of lowering ng the body to provide greater convenience for loading and unloading the stretcher patients. Another change for -the convenience of drivers accustomed to the gate change of fire-engines has been the conversion of the gear controls to bring the ambulance into line with the engines.
The fire brigade at Rotherham is a police brigade, manned by members of the police force, and the ambulance has been placed in charge of the fire brigade and housed at the fire-brigade station, where it is available at a moment's notice, men being on call at any hour. The body, an exceptionally fine piece of work, is by Fleetwood and Knott End Motors, Ltd., coachbuilders, of Fleetwood, Lancashire, and upon it a good deal' of careful thought and planning has ,been expended. From the poiet. of view of the driver thereis every convenience for easy running aniDdriVing, and, unlike many ambulances, there is in this case ample leg-room for the driver, an advantage not to be despised when long journeys have to be taken at a comparelively low speed and all attention is required to give every comfort to the patient. There is provision for two stretchers, the lower one running on two wheels, which run into rails ter guides on the floor. The upper stretcher is car tied on a shelf, or bracket arrangement, which hinges out of the way when not in use, and is supported from the ceiling on the side nearer the (centre of the body when carrying a patient. The upper stretcher support also comes down to the level of the lower stretcher by an in. genious swinging motion, and thus allows the stretcher to be removed easily by a man standing on the ground. Opposite the stretcher, and running the full length of the. interior, is a seat which is thickly upholstered with removable cushions, which will accommodate a number of sitting cases or the attendant. This seat hinges, and thus facilitates cleaning, a clear van-like body being presented when the seats are allowed to fall and the stretchers are removed. There is thus an absence of projections and crevices for the entrapping of dirt, which is an important feature in dealing with sick or injured persons.
The lighting is from a Brolt set, and
three sunk lights in the roof provide illumination for night work.. Three windows on each side provide light in the day-time, and there is a full complement of ventilators, all fitted with baffles to prevent draughts, opened from the inside, and adjustable. A small window, which automatically clips down, and is of small size to prevent a. draught on the patient when it is opened, is, provided for communication from the attendant to the driver. The interior is heated by a Thermorad apparatus, in which a hot plate in "the floor of the ambulance is heated from the exhaust, and is adjustable from the inside. This arrangement, made by A. W. Chapman, Ltd., of Hurlingliam, is a feature which is very mach appreciated, and is of great value, as patients are often taken from sick rooms which are comfortably heated, and if a dial were to be caught on thee journey the effect would be fatal. In general design and detail finish the vehicle is excellent, and as illustrating the care which has been taken with comparatively small matters, it might be mentioned that the deters when open fix in line with the sides of the body, and thus the doors do not swing into the street to the danger of passing traffic or obstruct pedestrians on the footpath. In the interior a " first aid" cabinet and a water bottle and drinking vessel are provided, and all the stretcher and other fittings are clipped into position automatically.
Superintendent Downing, will) is in charge of the fire-brigade section of the police force, in an interview with a representative of The Commercial Motor, remarked upon the large amount of work which is done by the ambulance. The calls worked out at an average of no fewer than five per day, and this shows the remarkable value which the borough and district get from this branch of public service. With regard to ambulance work no hard and fast rules have been laid down, and all kinds of cases are dealt with in a week. In addition to accident calls, received from the streets and from the works in the locality, a large number of eases of removal from home to the local hospital are dealt with. A charge of 5s. per case is made to the persons concerned when in the borough, and according to distance when outside, and arrangements are in hand for the conveyance of all accidents from five collieries in the out districts. In the case of pit accidents, there is a guarantee that the ambulance will he at the pit head within twenty minutes of the call being given, and consequently instructions are given that the ambulance should not be notified until the injured man is at the bottom of the pit. shaft, this obviating the difficulty of having the ambulance away from the station longer than is necessary. Poor Law .cases are dealtwith, the relieving officers being authorized to call out the ambulance, and in this case
a charge is made to the guardians for the work done. In cases where it appears that to pay for the use of the ambulance would be a hardship, the driver and the attendant have authority to remit the charge, hut, in spite of this the income from the ambulance is a fairly substantial one, and the cost to the ratepayers is infinitesimal.