Evening star., 1943-05-26
Central Control Plan
ToPrevent Ambulance
DeIaysto Be Presented
Principles Agreed On,
Drafting Of Program
To Sturt Tomorrow

Plans for a central control sys-
tenn for ambulances, designed to
prevent delay in picking up injured
persons, will be submitted early next
week to the committee appointed by
the Commissioners to study the
problem, DR.. John A. Reed, chair
man of the committee, indicated
today.
A special subcommittee will meet
tomorrow to begin drafting Of the
plan, DR.. Reed said. Members of
this group will include Capt Her
bert A. Friede, communications
controller for the civilian defense
department and superintendent of
the District fire alarm system; J. G.
Caposella, superintendent of Emer-
gency Hospital; DR.. Lawrence j.
Thomas, senior admitting officer at
Gallinger Hospital, and DR.. Reed as
an ex officio member.
Preliminary plans for the new
system, under which operations will
be centralized at fire alarm head
quarters, were developed yesterday
at meeting of the full committee,
held in the District Building at the
invitation of Commissioner Mason.
Agree on Essentials.
The committee, representing the
Office of Civilian Defense, Fire De-
partment, Police Department and
local hospitals, was in "entire agree
ment'' on essential features OF the
proposed program, DR.. Reed said.
When the plan is reduced to
writing, approved by the full COM
mittee and sent to the Commission
ers, it Is believed it will be put irto
operation as soon as possible. Com
missioner Mason forecast its adop-
ton.
Telephone calls from whatever
source will be routed to fire alarm
control headquarters where
trained operator will schedule all
calls, and follow through to see
that an ambulance gets to the
scene of the accident as soon as
possible.
To Appraise Calls.
DR.. Reed said an attempt would
be made under the new system to
screen or evaiuate' calls as an as
surance against sending ambulances
on unnecessary trips. But, he add.
ed, In the absence of any knowledge
that the call is unjustified, equip
ment will be dispatched
Where there is doubt, he said, one
OF the police scout car ambulances
probably will be sent, since they
have radio communication.
The committee represents a wide
variety of interests concerned with
providing ambulance and hospital
service to the public.
Those participating in the delib-
erations yesterday were Commits
sioner Mason, Dr. Reed, Douglas
West, acting chief of the Hospital
Permit Bureau, District Health De-
partment; Fire Chief Stephen T.
Porter, Inspector Arthur E. Miller,
IN charge of traffic, Police Depart
ment, who has made a preliminary
study and submitted recommended
tlons to the Commissioners on such
control; Capt. Friede, DR.. Thomas,
Samuel H. Rogers, president of the
Board of Directors of Casualty Hos
pital; Mr.. Caposella, Miss Belle
johnson, captain of Squad No. 81,
OCD Rescue Service, representing
the American Women's Voluntary
Services, and T. P. Hickman of the
Casualty Hospital board.
% Vehicles in Plan.
There are ambulances In the
Fire Department, 13 police scout
cars equipped as ambulances and
4 hospital ambulances-2 at Emer-
gency Hospital and 2 at Casualty
Hospital-so far considered in the
system.
The police scout car ambulances
already are operating under spe-
cial plan set up by Commissioner
Mason and the Police Department,
whereby they quickly respond to re-
ports of traffic accidents involving
serious injury.