Gross Mortuary ambulance attendants, Hot Springs, Arkansas, hurries critical accident victim to an awaiting 1966 Pontiac Consort, built by Superior Coaches.
(c) PHOTO BY BILL DEVER, COMMERCIAL POLICE PHOTOGRAPHER, HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Move your mouse over the picture to see note boxes explaining more
Photo taken by Bunny Dever, Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1967
Two emergency ambulance attendants from the Gross Mortuary, 1017 Central Avenue, Hot Springs, Arkansas, hurry a critically injured man into an awaiting 1966 white Pontiac Consort ambulance in Hot Springs in 1967.
In the days before paramedics, backboards, and splinting, the goal of good ambulance service back then was hurry to the scene and quickly "load and go."
Even at that, Gross Mortuary operated an excellent 24 / 7 ambulance service, giving prompt, careful care to thousands of Hot Springs residents from 1909 to July 31, 1974 when it ended its ambulance service.
This accident occurred on East Grand Avenue in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The injured man's young son later died in nearby Quachita Hospital (now closed). This compelling action (copyrighted) picture was taken by Bill (Bunny) Dever of Hot Springs, a skilled commercial police photographer and a good friend of mine for many years. His great pictures give a glympse of funeral home-operated ambulance services in the 1960s - 1970s.
The ambulance pictured above was a Pontiac Consort ambulance made by Superior. A Consort ambulance had no dividing wall between and driver and the rear patient area. The ambulance was actually designed to hold three patients on stretchers! Two stretchers (one a wheeled stretcher and the other a folding cot) could fit easily side by side on the ambulance floor, and a third folding stretcher could be suspended from the ceiling.
It had a (very loud) Federal Q2 siren, four alternating red bullet lights on the four roof corners, and a giant red beaconray in the center of the roof.
This ambulance, known as "Gross 6," served Hot Springs faithfully from 1966 to 1970 when it was replaced by a bright yellow Superior Van ambulance. Gross Mortuary ended ambulance service July 31, 1974.
Note that the two attendants are lifting the stretcher into the ambulance -- now days, paramedics use so-called one-man stretchers which fold up into the ambulance without having to be lifted, sissies.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEW BOOK AVAILABLE ABOUT FUNERAL HOME OPERATED AMBULANCE SERVICE
Humble Heroes: setting the record straight about funeral home operated ambulance service
"Humble Heroes" is a book that endeavors to set the record straight about funeral home operated ambulance service. Myths and misconceptions are addressed one by one. Twelve chapters address response times, training, equipment, finances as well as a chapter about a funeral home currently operating emergency ambulance service. Nearly 30 black and white period photos by Bill Dever, Dr. Jim Moshinskie and Kent Kirkley of funeral home based ambulances and their crews at work. Softcover, 40 pages, $12. TO ORDER: send a check or money order for $12 payable to Scott Reinbolt at P.O. Box 103, Blanchester, OH. 45107. Please don’t forget to include the address you would like the book shipped to.
ALSO SEE:
-- Gross Mortuary ambulance racing on an emergency call
-- Picture of Gross Mortuary, 1967
-- Last fleet of Gross Mortuary Ambulances in 1974
-- The Gross Mortuary building through the years
-- See Dr. Mo's collection of historic funeral home and ambulance photographs
Gross Mortuary ambulance attendants, Hot Springs, Arkansas, hurries critical accident victim to an awaiting 1966 Pontiac Consort, built by Superior Coaches.
(c) PHOTO BY BILL DEVER, COMMERCIAL POLICE PHOTOGRAPHER, HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Move your mouse over the picture to see note boxes explaining more
Photo taken by Bunny Dever, Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1967
Two emergency ambulance attendants from the Gross Mortuary, 1017 Central Avenue, Hot Springs, Arkansas, hurry a critically injured man into an awaiting 1966 white Pontiac Consort ambulance in Hot Springs in 1967.
In the days before paramedics, backboards, and splinting, the goal of good ambulance service back then was hurry to the scene and quickly "load and go."
Even at that, Gross Mortuary operated an excellent 24 / 7 ambulance service, giving prompt, careful care to thousands of Hot Springs residents from 1909 to July 31, 1974 when it ended its ambulance service.
This accident occurred on East Grand Avenue in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The injured man's young son later died in nearby Quachita Hospital (now closed). This compelling action (copyrighted) picture was taken by Bill (Bunny) Dever of Hot Springs, a skilled commercial police photographer and a good friend of mine for many years. His great pictures give a glympse of funeral home-operated ambulance services in the 1960s - 1970s.
The ambulance pictured above was a Pontiac Consort ambulance made by Superior. A Consort ambulance had no dividing wall between and driver and the rear patient area. The ambulance was actually designed to hold three patients on stretchers! Two stretchers (one a wheeled stretcher and the other a folding cot) could fit easily side by side on the ambulance floor, and a third folding stretcher could be suspended from the ceiling.
It had a (very loud) Federal Q2 siren, four alternating red bullet lights on the four roof corners, and a giant red beaconray in the center of the roof.
This ambulance, known as "Gross 6," served Hot Springs faithfully from 1966 to 1970 when it was replaced by a bright yellow Superior Van ambulance. Gross Mortuary ended ambulance service July 31, 1974.
Note that the two attendants are lifting the stretcher into the ambulance -- now days, paramedics use so-called one-man stretchers which fold up into the ambulance without having to be lifted, sissies.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEW BOOK AVAILABLE ABOUT FUNERAL HOME OPERATED AMBULANCE SERVICE
Humble Heroes: setting the record straight about funeral home operated ambulance service
"Humble Heroes" is a book that endeavors to set the record straight about funeral home operated ambulance service. Myths and misconceptions are addressed one by one. Twelve chapters address response times, training, equipment, finances as well as a chapter about a funeral home currently operating emergency ambulance service. Nearly 30 black and white period photos by Bill Dever, Dr. Jim Moshinskie and Kent Kirkley of funeral home based ambulances and their crews at work. Softcover, 40 pages, $12. TO ORDER: send a check or money order for $12 payable to Scott Reinbolt at P.O. Box 103, Blanchester, OH. 45107. Please don’t forget to include the address you would like the book shipped to.
ALSO SEE:
-- Gross Mortuary ambulance racing on an emergency call
-- Picture of Gross Mortuary, 1967
-- Last fleet of Gross Mortuary Ambulances in 1974
-- The Gross Mortuary building through the years
-- See Dr. Mo's collection of historic funeral home and ambulance photographs