The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-20
City II eWs
POLICE [ AMBULANCE
COVERS The WORK
DEMAND FOR HOSPITAL WAGON
MOSTLY IMAGINARY.
Two Departments Cooperate in All En-
Urgency Cases and Service as Now In
stituted Is Efficient and Intelligent
Mayor and City Physician Discuss
Merits of Controversy.

Something akin to tempest in tea
Dot is being aroused over the city hos
pital ambulance service. In spite of
tbs many criticisms, the hospital and
and police authorities declare that the
city is in position to act with the great
dispatch in emergency cases.
Mayor Favors Ambulance.
For many years it has been in the
minds of the members of the board Of |
charities and corrections to install and !
maintain frst-class ambulance service
at the city hospital, with horses con-
the tap Of the bell,
81 have always thought that such
service should be maintained, sad
Mayor David P. Jones today, 'but the
board of tax levy has not seen nit to
grant the necessary, appropriations Tor
q barn and the equipment. Hence the
city hospital ambulance is kept at a
private barn and while there is a little
loss Of time in hitching up the ambul-
ance is usually secured with little. delay.
cit is not true that there is any
difficulty between the city hospital and
the patrol wagons for ambulance duty.
The hospital frequently calls on the po-
lice for a wagon and gets it at once,
and whenever the police. want the city
hospital ambulance 1t Is supplied as
rapidly as possible
To persons conversant with police at
fairs the present service is known to
be prompt and adequate for all ordinary
emergencies. There are three police
patrol wagons in service, day and night
The city also owns another wagon
which could be put in service in the
fifth precinct at short notice if it were
needed.
How Service Is Rendered.
minneapolis is not up against any
hard proposition in tho matter Of car
ing for emergency cases." says Ut.
E. H. Beckman, city physician.
The ambulance service as now han,
died by the police is good. speedy and
intelligent, he says, and only IN rare
instances is there delay The question
of the need of city hospital ambu-
lance does not reflect in the least on
the efficiency Of the present system OF
handng cases with tfe Patrol w vsgsed
in "' first aid to the injured' and DR..
Beckman is willing to devote time
to teaching them more. a policeman,
he says, can handle an accident case as
intelligently any time as the ordinary
hospital attendant and, 50 far, no in
iured person has suffered because he
did not receive proper attention while
in the wagon.
Policemen Know the Work.
With the officers thoroly instructed
in giving "first aid to the iniured,'
and three police ambulances ready and
eouippepd for the work. Minneapolis
is not badly off for emergency anbu-
lances. DR.. Becknan cites cases where
the patrol wagon has been called, and
seven minutes after the call was re.
ceived the injured person was on the
operating table at the hospital. g.
This is as quick as physician can
ordinarily be found, and, in addition,
the patient is in place where there
is every equipment. In, one instance,
the wagon was called to the East Side,
where a man had been run over by
train. He was in the hospital just
twelve minutes after the accident oc-
Cured. The policeman In attendance
stopped the flow Of blood as well as
physician could have done, and the
man was ready for the physician.
Where Police Are Better.
Many Of the emergency cases require
a policeman on the scene. Some are
suicides, some murders and some IN
troll wagon would have to go anyway,
as the police must investigate. Then,
the patrol wagon always gets a right
of way more easily than an ordinary
ambulance, and under the police sys-
tenn there is no doubling or lost time.
The police arc in favor of an ambu-
lance and so is DR.. Beclzman. All ad-
nit that it would be great benefit to
the city, but those who work daily to
save lives, take it as a personal insult
when the facts are SO garbled' that
strangers think an injured mans life
Is little thought of. There are rarely
more than three calls day, and there
are three police ambulances, with
swift horses, to do this work.
Wagons Well Supplied.
Each wagon is equipped with a sani-
tary stretcher, pillow and blankets.
The wagon is covered, to prevent the
curious from gazing at. the injured, and
it is we'll ventilated and clean. The
wagons ride easily and the Central wa
gon, which handles nearly all the cases,
is equipped with rubber tires.
The city hospital is situated down
town, close to the police wagon, and if
an accident occurs in an outlying dis
trict, the patrol wagon can make one
trip from there to the hospital with
the patient much quicker than an am.