# Old Ambulance Photos



## TTLWHKR

I just happen to be an author and historian. I got into EMS when I heard my grandfather tell stories about driving a hearse  as an ambulance to mine and automobile accidents in the 1950's & 1960's before the fire company picked up ambulance service in 1967. I have collected hundreds to THOUSANDS of pictures of ambulances; car chassis ambulances. 1920's - 1970's. The only thing I don't have is pictures of the insides. I'm looking for a standard list of equipment that ambulances carried before there were DOT Standards. I even have first aid and ambulance attendant text books from Pennsylvania pre-1969. I'm also looking for pictures or stories of ambulance services from the most unpopulated parts of the country, including Alaska; Nevada; all the desert areas. And pictures of the insides of the ambulances and their equipment... Or locations in the country where car chassis ambulances are still in service. The law was that, you may not put a car chassis ambulance into service after 1980 something; but if you already had one it was grandfathered in.

I can post a few picture I have; I'll try that later.


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## TTLWHKR

Virginia Beach Vol. Rescue Squad

VBVRSCaddy1



VBVRSPicture2

VBVRSPicture3


VBVRSPicture4


VBVRSPicture5


Caddy's Rock!


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## MMiz

Blueeighty8,

Great pictures, thanks for sharing!

Are any more of this pictures online?  It's always interesting to see how far EMS has progressed in recent years.


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## TTLWHKR

Ambulance Links...

1977 Cadillac M&M Lifeliner

M&M Lifeliner

Caddy

1970 Caddy

1970 Cadillac Sayers & Scoville (S&S) Classic... My service has this exact ambulance; only it was all white

Cadillac S&S Kensington

Cadillac S&S Parkway

1970 Cadillac Superior

1970 Cadillac Superior Inside, rear view

1971 M&M Lifeliner w/ 54" Headroom

Rearview, inside the 1971 M&M 54"

List One.


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## TTLWHKR

Ambulance Links...

List Two of Three.

1971 48" Cadillac; The Volunteer


Rearview, Inside; The Volunteer

1971 Cadillac, The Guardian

1971 Cadillac, The Guardian, Rearview, 43" Headroom

1971 Superior American

1972 Superior Standard


1974 Caddy Criterion, Miller-Meteor; This model was the basis for all modern Miller Econoline Ambulances (Van Ambulances)

Another view of the 1974 Criterion... My Favorite Ambulance. This one kicks serious ***.


Inside views of the 1974 Criterion


Inside view, 1974 Criterion; first ambulance to have top-mount backboard box

1974 Criterion, door compartments


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## TTLWHKR

Ambulance Links

Three of Three.

1971 Cadillac S&S (Now Hess & Eisenhardt) Medic Mark 1 Ambulance

1992 Cadillac S&S Eureka; Last Combination hearse/ambulance made

Now of course every caddy lover has to have a book mark to this page. The Bay Shore Ambulance service in Foster City, CA runs two Cadillac Criterion ambulances as active duty ambulances... That is my life time dream, to run a call in a Cadillac Ambulance... Someday I will have one. 

BayShore Ambulance Svc.

Bayshore

Bayshore w/ Patients


Profile View, Bayshore Ambulance


Bayshore Ambulance Rear View


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## MMiz

Great pictures!



> *Now of course every caddy lover has to have a book mark to this page. The Bay Shore Ambulance service in Foster City, CA runs two Cadillac Criterion ambulances as active duty ambulances... That is my life time dream, to run a call in a Cadillac Ambulance... Someday I will have one. *



I spent a while looking at that page and was amazed.  Do you really think people would be comfortable riding in an old-style Cadillac Ambulance?  

I'm relatively new to EMS, but I hear lots of stories from old-timers.  The days when having blood all over your uniform meant you actually did something at work.  Gloves?  Who wore gloves?  The last thing I would expect to hear is that they enjoyed riding in the back of those old ambulances.  They look so cramped, and I think the patient would have the same closed-in feeling.

Any input?

Again, thanks for sharing!


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## TTLWHKR

Cadillacs rode like you were on a cloud, they "never hit a bump".   

Really until the mid 1970's you would have heard horrorific stories from Ambulance attendants. They didn't have access to equipment and training until Pre-hospital medicine evolved after the Vietnam Conflict. You can thank the Medics and Corpsmen in WWII, Korea and Vietnam for modern prehospital care. They invented, or gave ideas for nearly everything we have now. Including Paramedics; and advanced life support. 

I've heard stories from attendants, and my grandfather; relating to first aid care in our rural area. What EMT's and Paramedics who are new to EMS must learn is that there is a difference between Urban and Rural EMS; even today with so many advances. Not just distances between patients and difinitive care facilities, but between services and patients. It is not always possible to pay services to cover these areas. Some services only have 10 calls a year; some have thousands. Either way, it's better now that it was in the days of the caddy. 

I slept for about three hours, and now I can't get back to sleep; so I guess I have time to share some of what I've heard over the years...

My grandfather told me of when he worked for a creamery in town; at the time he lived in a house next to one of the two funeral parlors in town. There were two ambulances; one just a hearse with trasnport capabilities. The other a hearse with a first aid kit. The one near my grandfather had people from the community as traffic directors, funeral drivers, stand in's, etc. My grandfather drove the hearse on emergency ambulance runs. He said it had to be a multi-funcitional vehicle. It was used as an ambulance, but it was still a hearse. The first aid cabinet fit into the front against the seat; and between two attendant seats. The oxygen resuscitator sat on the floor in front of that; and the cot mounts were permanent. 

The carried one Resuscitator w/ Mask and two copper oxygen tanks (This belonged to the fire company, who used it for drownings and smoke inhalation). The ambulance used it as a oxygen tent, assisting doctors all over a three-county radius. The first aid kit was simple; basic bandaging supplies; about 100 cravats (Triangular Bandages); wooden splints; a Thomas Splint; a Spine Board; a cot; and three military stretchers. You could fit five people laying down in the ambulance. One on the cot, two on the floor side by side; and two on the ceiling. Now this was the Load & Go days; so you didn't have to keep track of vitals; etc. Just getting them to a hospital was enough. Often the funeral homes would rely on each other to get multiple patients to the hospital. A doctor could ride w/ the more serious patients providing pain relief or fluids. IV's were often a luxuary too; but after the national standards for EMT's came around in the early 1970's; the local EMT's were trained to provide IV's. Paramedics were not available until 1992. The funeral homes gave up service in 1967 and the Fire Co. took over. They were able to provide IV's on the Basic EMT level until 1995; when ALS became more readily available. 

In the 1950's the hearse was black w/ two red lights on the front near the hood. Sort of like elevated turn signals that flashed at the same time. In the 1960's the hearse was white and had a single red "bubble" light on the roof, and a federal siren mounted under the hood and behind the grille. 

I've been told that at one point they hauled upto nine patients in one cadillac ambulance b/c in the mid 60's only one ambulance service operated after a closure. This was the only ambulance available to about 15,000 residents in three rural and wilderness counties. 

Like I said, the caddy rode like a dream. I've rode in a cadillac hearse before-to get the feel. It was exactly like an ambulance. Had a cot for removal; and seats; ceiling hooks. But no first aid cabinets. It was perfect, not too cramped; and it was explained to me by the funeral director how they would fit nine patients in it, if that was legal. You'd be suprised. I can't put into words what its like; but I tried my best. Maybe a bit cramped; but you worked with what you had. And they made it work, I thought it was just enough room to be comfortable. Maybe in some low-tops it would be a bit uncomfortable; but the high tops were just a bit more short than the current Econolines. Not enough room to stand up, but it must have worked b/c people are so fond of them. 

The bay shore people use the caddy's for LDT's Long Distance Transports or Red Blanket Transports. This is b/c the caddy offers a supreme ride in comfort on long trips. Plus it makes people feel a bit more comfortable...
I was once told that you should ask a patient if they are comfortable twice. Once when you load; and once before you arrive.  Because that in itself is a necessary measure to prehospital care. Comfort.


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## mfkap

I have a bunch of pictures from my Ambulance Corps that I scanned in for our future website, don't really know what the vehicles are, if anyone can help me out with the descriptions it would be great.

http://www.dfvac.org/images/former_ambulances/915-a.jpg
http://www.dfvac.org/images/former_ambulances/915-c.jpg
http://www.dfvac.org/images/former_ambulances/915-d.jpg
http://www.dfvac.org/images/former_ambulances/ny1634-a.jpg
http://www.dfvac.org/images/former_ambulances/ny1634-b.jpg
http://www.dfvac.org/images/former_ambulances/ny1634-c.jpg
http://www.dfvac.org/images/former_ambulances/ny1634-d.jpg
http://www.dfvac.org/images/former_ambulances/ny1634-e.jpg
http://www.dfvac.org/images/former_ambulances/ny1634-f.jpg
http://www.dfvac.org/images/former_ambulances/ny3206-a.jpg
http://www.dfvac.org/images/former_ambulances/ny3206-b.jpg

I guess all images are &copy;  Dobbs Ferry Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Dobbs Ferry, NY.
For more info email info@dfvac.org, or visit http://www.dfvac.org (under construction)


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## Luno

Okay, I don't think anything gives me the willies like an old cadillac ambulance, I looked through these just to scare myself interesting HX though.


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## burntbob

Hello All
There's more to to the world of old ambulances than cadillacs! I have a 1965 International Harvester Travelall ambulance that I use for parades and other fun stuff for our professional association. These were the workhorses for many a fleet and small town service, they were tough, fast and you could get them in 4x4 for off road, and your tractor dealership would carry the parts to fix them.

You can see pictures at my website
http://oldambulance.cornbinder.com

Thanks

Bob


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## TTLWHKR

Oh there is much more than Cadillacs!

Pontiacs, Internationals, Packards, Buicks, Lincolns...

Our service has owned a variety of profession specific vehicles and combinations!
Started with a Cadillac and a Packard in the 1940's; moved on to Lincolns; Then cadillacs; International Travel-All's (also called the Harvester); then onto Dodge Conversion Vans; Then fords.

We always say, what does it say for the ambulance industry, we started out driving cadillacs and now we drive fords...


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## coloradoemt

Cool pictures!! I have to agree that the caddy's would not be comfy to work in. Cant say anything different about the IH, I used to have a scout. But that things gotta be fun to drive!!


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## procarsteve

*About those Dobbs Ferry rigs...*

Great shots; thanks for posting them!

The first one is a 1946-48 Meteor/Cadillac.

The second one is a 1964 Miller-Meteor/Cadillac "Volunteer" w/48" headroom.

The last one is a 1973 M-M/Cadillac "Lifeliner" w/54" headroom.


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## MedicTroll

*Love the Caddy buses*

When I first started working in EMS the company I was with still ran a Caddy and a Pontiac, Everyone wanted to be in the new Mods so New guys got the Caddy or Pontiac. I loved it was a blast to ride, a little tight to work in but was the greatest. I hated to see them go and only wish I had the money at the time to buy them, I have been looking to find one and restore it at least for parades.


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## procarsteve

Bob,

I can't get this link to work:

http://oldambulance.cornbinder.com

What's the matter with it?

Thanks,
Steve


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## TTLWHKR

Before my crash, I owned six old commercial chassis rigs myself. In all, we had nine since I began the collection. I sold them all either to collectors or on ebay after I was hit head-on by a tire delivery truck while driving to work. That allowed me to pay some medical bills, we sued for the rest..   Plus I got a new SUV, and paid off the house. Small price to pay, for having to be cut out of my 2005 Ford Deathtrap. 

While I no longer own any ambulances, I do have a garage full of equipment.. Stretchers, gurneys, resuscitators, boxes, etc.. My father on the other hand, he owns 11 old vehicles, related to his field. Our family ran a funeral home, and along with it an ambulance service. They operated till the early 80's, and he still have the last vehicle that was in service. Quite an amazing collection of Cadillacs, Packards and Travel-All Ambulances. He still has a 77 Cadillac Hearse in service, as he is a full time funeral director. His interest in the ambulances comes from having been either an attendant since 1952, or a Paramedic since the early 70's. I'm sure if he could launch them into service, they would run as good as new....


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## burntbob

*WEbsite pictures at oldambulance@cornbinder.com*

Sorry folks my website provider went down and posted a " temporary problem" notice but never came back on line again.
Can't complain too much as it was a free site but I haven't had the time to start up a new one.
We moved to a new fleet centre/headquarters in December and it's been busy getting everything back together,

the website for my service is at http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/ambulances/index_en.shtml

and for our local association at 
http://www.ottawaparamedics.ca/

lots of good pictures on the second site.

Bob Davidson


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## maksim

hello all!
Let me too...






It is borrowed from a site ambulances.ru


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## Sineath02

Yeah I heard the ghostbusters had a part time EMS service on the side..<_<


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## burntbob

*New photo site*

Hi All
MY cornbinder site vanished when the provider packed it in....
I've posted most shots on photobucket and have new pics of an old 68 Van rig I found.

http://s63.photobucket.com/albums/h159/burntbob1/

If you can save an old ambulance it's worth it. Every time you drive it or have it out you turn heads and make people smile.


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## JimH

*Old Ambulances*

>When I first started working in EMS the company I was with still ran a Caddy and a Pontiac<

In the late 70s I worked for a company that had a little of everything, among them a "55 International, two Pontiac high tops, and a low top, Two Superior Cadillac high tops, and a '66 S&S Low Top in great condition, and a '69 Ford Econoline conversion by Superior. not unlike the one in the photo.
The Cadillacs were OK to work in, especially if they had a bench, but the jump seat was not intended for patient care. 
Same for the Pontiacs, only slightly narrower.
The low top Pontiac I have often questioned the origin of, it had no partition, and once, while checking the oil, I noted the red paint under the hood had blistered, and the paint underneath was black. Perhaps it had a past-
The Econoline was strange, it was an Ex-Schaefer's rig, and a very early van conversion. I believe it was a Superior rig.
I saw it again about 5 years after leaving the company- it was a surfer's van parked at Zuma Beach. Still had the bullet lights on 4 corners- I wonder if he removed the B&M siren


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## Mercy4Angels

Luno said:


> Okay, I don't think anything gives me the willies like an old cadillac ambulance, I looked through these just to scare myself interesting HX though.



agreed im glad im an EMT in todays time and date. E450 box back for me thanks. (the international model is nice too)


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## NJEMT1

Rigs have sure come a long way!


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## KEVD18

why cant this(or any) thread JUST DIE!!!!

people leave them be! why pump a thread full of epi and shock the crap out of it so we can all look at it one last time and let it die again, just to be revived...


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## fm_emt

KEVD18 said:


> why cant this(or any) thread JUST DIE!!!!
> 
> people leave them be! why pump a thread full of epi and shock the crap out of it so we can all look at it one last time and let it die again, just to be revived...



Well, we can't do that to patients, so we might as well resuscitate the hell out of a dying thread.


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## njEMSchick

Here's a pic of the 1937 LaSalle that we have at my squad.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/abhainn/09-29-06_2048.jpg


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## Airwaygoddess

njEMSchick said:


> Here's a pic of the 1937 LaSalle that we have at my squad.
> 
> http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/abhainn/09-29-06_2048.jpg



That is such a cool ole ambulance!!  Does it have a nickname?


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## njEMSchick

We just call it the LaSalle.  We keep it in the ambulance bay, but it occasionally takes rides for parades and other events around our town.


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## hockeypaul81




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## pozharsky

*From Russia paramedic or emergency doctor*

Hello, dear collegues.
If you interesting russian ambulances - http://www.ambulances.ru


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## keith10247

Evening All,

Yesterday I attended the Winchester, VA Apple Blossom festival.  I saw an ambulance that reminded me of this post.  It was truly remarkable and in amazing shape.  It even has a Lifepak 4 still inside of it! 

Here is a picture of me standing officer side along with my driver.


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## Trailpatrol

*You had to be there*



Luno said:


> Okay, I don't think anything gives me the willies like an old cadillac ambulance, I looked through these just to scare myself interesting HX though.



It was not as bad as all that, really. (I _am_ one of those grandfathers. My oldest is an RN.) I worked in Caddys and Pontiacs, but I loved Chevy Suburbans. Bit shorter, a bit wider, but _-=FAST!_ Our suburban had a 454 with a 4-barrel Holley carburator in it. You almost had to turn off the engine to fill the tank. We took a critical patient from Claremore, OK, to OKC in 1 hour. It took two hours to get home.

Also, you could get it with real factory 4-wheel-drive rather than mess up the drivetrain with a modification package.

Picture of it on our training division homepage, http://www.emergicaretraining.org 

Be safe,
Trailpatrol


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## Trailpatrol

*Funny?*

You know it's funny. (Ironic) Back when the KKK-A-1822 standards first came out in the mid-'70s, EMTs and paramedics were all harping "You'll never get me to take a patient in one of those bread trucks/buck boards/delivery trucks." (Insert favorite nickname for a rough riding vehicle.) The posts on here are largely just the opposite. Funny how perspectives change.

Here is that Suburban I wrote about earlier:





And here is a really, and I mean _really_ cool rig from Ohio. Horton only made 10 of them and this guy has the only one still on the road. 









Like Will Smith..."I got to get me one of these!"


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## Jim Staruk

*Used equipment*



TTLWHKR said:


> While I no longer own any ambulances, I do have a garage full of equipment.. Stretchers, gurneys, resuscitators, boxes, etc.. My father on the other hand, he owns 11 old vehicles, related to his field. Our family ran a funeral home, and along with it an ambulance service. They operated till the early 80's, and he still have the last vehicle that was in service. Quite an amazing collection of Cadillacs, Packards and Travel-All Ambulances. He still has a 77 Cadillac Hearse in service, as he is a full time funeral director. His interest in the ambulances comes from having been either an attendant since 1952, or a Paramedic since the early 70's. I'm sure if he could launch them into service, they would run as good as new....



I'm restoring a 1974 Miller-Meteor ambulance and I'd be interested in any used equipment (roof lights, cot fasterners, curtains, etc.) you're willing to sell me.


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## Ridryder911

One of my first ambulances I worked in was like that suburban. In fact I worked in two until the early 90's in one of the rural areas. One of the units was made into a Supervisor unit and the other remained a patient transport unit. I have to admit they were smooth riding, but definitely small and hard to perform ALS. In fact, we gave tPA in the field in one of those type of trucks.. wow! hard to imagine, that we were doing modified 12 leads, and still rode in suburbans...

R/r 911


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## Airwaygoddess

keith10247 said:


> Evening All,
> 
> Yesterday I attended the Winchester, VA Apple Blossom festival.  I saw an ambulance that reminded me of this post.  It was truly remarkable and in amazing shape.  It even has a Lifepak 4 still inside of it!
> 
> Here is a picture of me standing officer side along with my driver.


What a pretty ride!  I would love to drive one of those puppies!


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## JimH

*Old Ambulance Equipment*



Jim Staruk said:


> I'm restoring a 1974 Miller-Meteor ambulance and I'd be interested in any used equipment (roof lights, cot fasterners, curtains, etc.) you're willing to sell me.



The Professional Car website is a good place to find things like that- 
http://www.professionalcar.org/
They have a good forum, and if they don't have something- they know who does.
Also things show up from time to time on Ebay- prices can be really good to ridiculous-


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## medman123

Trailpatrol said:


> .
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Like Will Smith..."I got to get me one of these!"



Haha, is that a jeep?


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## Trailpatrol

medman123 said:


> Haha, is that a jeep?



Yep, it is. This is a truly unique emergency rescue vehicle, a 1982 AMC/Jeep Scrambler, Horton All Terrain Medic (ATM). It had never been sold and was in brand new condition.

The Horton ATM was designed by Carl Horton of The Horton Company in Columbus, Ohio. Research has revealed approximately ten of these fully functional mini-ambulances were built in 1981-1982. All ten were built as demonstrator units and eventually sold to rescue squads throughout the east coast and Georgia.

The Horton conversion was a little different in each unit, but primarily consists of removal of the front passenger seat; the installation of a stretcher platform or squad bench accommodating a Ferno 107-C stretcher/stair chair combo or a backboard, loaded feet first; the passenger seat was located rearward facing behind the driver allowing full access to a patient. A full cabinet wall was crafted on the curbside handling a full complement of medical supplies. Other storage included large item & backboard storage under the stretcher platform, oxygen storage in the street side rear area (2 "D" tanks), a 12 volt plug for Laerdal suction unit, and large compartments under the attendant seat, over the driver's head, and behind the driver's seat. Medical bags could be stored in the front passenger area.

There is a full complement of emergency lighting including a Federal #12 Twinsonic lightbar, 2 Weldon red sealed beam flashers on the front & rear and 2 Unity scene lights. A Federal Mini-Com siren and switching unit provided control of the Horton electrical system.

It is mostly a show car, but the onwe says he could use it for a backcountry access and evac, or at a disaster scene (like the tornadoes they seem to have in Ohio) if needed. It is kept fully stocked.


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## Thanach

Mercy4Angels said:


> agreed im glad im an EMT in todays time and date. E450 box back for me thanks. (the international model is nice too)



I work for a private and we run the  van style ambulance, and someone (not us) around here runs one of the new Dodge/International Sprinter van's turned into an ambulance, like they do in Europe... 
supposedly a 6' person can actually stand up inside and not hit their head...


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