Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-05
Police 10 Rush
Scout Cars 10
Accident Scenes
Service Is Ordered
In Case of Waits
For AmbuIonces

IN Lose OF WoItS
For AmbuIonces
To protect traffic victims from
delays in transportation to hospi.
tails, the Police Department today
inaugurated new system Of send
ing one Of its ambulance scout cars
to the scene Of each serious accident.
These cars will be dispatched by
orders over police short wave radio
which is in constant contact with
the IA ambulance scout cars. One
of these cars is located in each Of
the IA police precincts. They are
all equipped with first aid kits and
stretchers. They are manned by
police trained in first aid to the in
jured.
Under the new order prepared by
Inspector Harvey G.. Callahan, an
ambulance scout car will speed to
the scene of the accident immedi-
ately. This will be in addition to a
hospital ambulance. The police will
prepare the patient on a stretcher
and will proceed to take the patient
to the hospital unless the hospital
ambulance arrives before the scout
car can get under way.
Duplication Possible.
This may result in some duplica.
ton OF ambulance equipment, ac-
cording to one police official, but
such duplication would be justified
in cases of human suffering and DOS
sible loss of life. The ambulance
scout cars have been used in the
past but not under such specific
plan as that put in effect today.
The new step is the first taken
by police following a recent order by
District Commissioner Mason to
look into ways and means of pre-
venting recurrence of delays such
as recently left traffic victims ly-
ing on cold pavements for more
than half an hour.
Mr.. Mason's order was issued as
result of the case of young
woman who was hit by a streetcar
at Eleventh and Pennsylvania ave-
nue. NV. and lay on the pavement
for more than half an hour de-
spite several telephone calls by DO
lice and The Star to Emergency
Hospital. She was taken away in
a police patrol before arrival of the
hospital ambulance.
The victim, Miss Charlotte Blood.
"a, was reported today by her moth
er to be recovering slowly at her
home, 1886 K street NE, although
still quite i'll. A policeman at the
corner said he telephoned in the
accident within two minutes after
it took place.
Another Delay.
In another case, Thomas O,Brien
of 370l Massachusetts, avenue NV.
was struck by an automobile at
l1:19 am. Wednesday on .Wiscon.
sin avenue. was admitted to Cas-
ualty' Hospital at g12:o5 pm. after
having been transported also by q
police patrol before the ambulance
arrived. Both Emergency and Cas-
ualty Hospital officials claimed
their institutions were not at fault.
Meantime, an investigation into
the two cases and some prior Incl
dents where ambulances have been
delayed in reaching traffic victims
was being pushed forward by Po-
lice Inspector Arthur E. Miller. As
signed to this task by Police Super
intendent Edward j. Kelly, Inspec-
tor Miller said today he had not
yet completed his report. He is
making a careful study of the tele-
phone calls and possible reasons
for the delay of the ambulances.
Commissioner Mason has asked for
recommendations to prevent such
delays.
Suggestion for a centralized plan
of some kind to coordinate the
dispatch of ambulances to serious
accidents have been advanced to
remedy the situation.
Macdonald Backs Study.
DR.. A. Magruder Macdonald, Dis
trict coroner, who is also president
of the District Medical Society, ex-
pressed the opinion that the per-
centage of delays in hospital am
bulance trips probably was very
small" But he thought 1t might
be good thing to study the situa-
ton, to help prevent even few de-
lays.
In his capacity as chairman Of
the Wartime Committee on Medical
Service for the District of Colum-
bia, consisting of several agencies
here, DR.. Macdonald said he would
be willing to "look into the mat
ter if necessary with a view to any
suggestions which might improve
ambulance service to any injured
person"
ut seems to me the police should
be the center of control for any CO.
ordinated plan of ambulance calls"
he said. THE police short wave
radio blankets the city "a hours of
the day, with immediate contact
with the cruising police ambulance
scout cars"
Any such plan, he thought, should
not prevent calls to hospitals for
ambulance service.
OCD Stats for Emergency.
The Office of Civilian Defense for
thu. District has city-wide program
for special ambulance service In
case of an air raid or other major
tragedy. 1t is set up, however,
according to DR.. John A. Reed,
chief medical officer of Emergency
Medical Service, OCD, only for
emergencies, and is not designed to
take care of the normal now of traf-
fic accidents. The plan incor-
porates use of trucks, already fitted
as stretcher carriers: private cars,
taxicabs and privately owned am
balances.
The District Chapter of the
American Red Cross has four am
balances, driven by volunteer wom-
en- members Of the Red Cross Mo-
tor Corps, of which Mrs. William E.
Leahy is chairman. It already is
busy on special missions, such as
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