The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1941-02-27
Sudden Deoth
Is Not Exciting
BY John Dunlats
IN st. Paul Pioneer Press

/
citing.
Don't tell him unless you're pre-.
pared to spend an hour or SO in
learning there's no excitement in
! human suffering
The men who pilot the ST Paul
police ambulance have witnessed toe
much TO lind excitement in a crum-
pied body mute evidence of a mo-
torist's thoughtlessness. They see no
adventure IN race with death.
There's no romance in desperately
prylng an auto-crash victim from
twisted stubborn steel or in meet
ing the eyes of grief-stricken par
ents
Every year these men answer on
the average of 1900 ambulance calls.
Calls which bring them in contact
with the pathetic, the tragic and the
| humorous.
One of their stories which en-.
| JOYS city wide circulation is the
one about the patriotic drunk who
insisted he saw snakes gaily deco
rated with God Bless America
banners.
Or they'll tell you of the little
Negro girl who awoke in hospital
surrounded by whitehead nurses
and lubllantly cried, sLordy. Ise in
! Heavent'
Then, there's the story of an
elderly gentleman who was injured
when his car passed the ambulance
and crashed into telephone pole.
On the way to the hospital he
kept shaking his head and mutter-
ing. L can't understand it. | can't
understand it,, The ambulance
chauffeur thought he was referring
to the accident until the old gentle
man stated, How did you fellows
get there so quickly, that's what
want to know
Contrary to popular belief the
city ambulanceSdoes not speed reck-
lessly to the scene of an accident.
The sirens weird wall instills that
illusion in the citizens mind.
The drivers explain it this way.
What is needed at the scene of an
accident is cool mind. Neither
the doctor nor the driver can re-
main calm if they speed recklessly
They know from experience
The average speed on a call is
from So to 40 miles an hour The
time they leave police headquarters
until the victim is on his way to
the hospital is at the most L min
utes
Know Short Cuts
Speed is not so essential because
every driver carries a reliable map
OF the city in his head He gets there
III hurry because he knows every
shortcut, alley and street in St
Paul.
Veteran ambulance officers often
yearn for the horse and buggy era
when, as they put it, a horse did oc-
casionally knock down a pedestrian
but not at SO miles an hour.
What bothers the ambulance
drivers is 10 per cent of the motor
lists whom they classify under the
general heading Of sscrewba1l driv-
ers.
Heading this list is the sports
man. This type delights in racing
with the ambulance. But in the opin-
ion of the ambulance officers He's
headed for trouble for in many cases
a police car is following US
Next comes the excited motorist
who either stops in the middle of
the street or sWerves into the am
balances path when the siren
sounds.
The only defense against this
guys quaint maneuvers is a silent
prayer"
But don't get the idea that am
bulance drivers are sour on Mr.. /
Motorist.
Trained for Jobs
They note with pleasure the au-
tomobile that pulls over to the right |
hand curb and stops at the SIRENS
warning. They also would like to
shake the hand of the motorist who
doesn't block traffic and gawk at
an accident.
Fully trained in first-aid the men
are equally proficient in splinting
broken limbs, stemming an artery
wound and calming historical pa
tlents.
Although they never know what's
waiting at the end of the call. they
do know this: Don't call the am
bulance If your son Johnny has re-
celved a black eye in school yard
battle or Susy Dashed her shin on
a chair.
However, if you deem the ambu-
lance necessary, give police all the
details. Don't hang up the phone
after crying Help, call the ambu-
lance"
They've seen about all there is in
suffering and yet familiarity doesn't
breed contempt as far as they are
concerned.
In short, they are the greatest
guys IN the world If you're in
S~~-
I Inc magistrate bent stern brows
on the defendant You are charged
with exceeding the speed limit last
4gy..