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

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 10 ambulance scout cars. One
OF these cars is located in each of
the 13 police precincts, except the
harbor precinct They are all equip
ped with first-aid kits and stretch
ers. They are manned by police
trained in first aid.
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
hospital ambulance. The police will
prepare the patient on 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, &C
cording to one police official, but
such a duplication would be justified
IN cases OF human suffering and pos
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 order pointed out that it was
constantly being brought to the
attention Of police headquar,ers
that maximum Use is not being
made" of combination ambulance
scout cars.
Six specific rules were set forth
to govern the new system. Among
these it was specified that men in
charge Of the cars should respond
to calls by the most direct route
and at the greatest speed consistent
with observance of safe driving
rules Details of how injured per-
sons are to be handled were out
lined.
Will Hold Weekly Drills.
Drills for the ambulance scout
car personnel are to be held at least
once each week. preferably at night,
lights so that the men may be pre-
pared to make use of this equip
ment during periods of blackout as
we'll as in the daytime"
The new step is the first taken
by polise 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
q 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 halt de-
spite several telephone calls by po-
lice and The Star to Emergency
Hospital. She was taken away in
q police patrol before arrival of the
hospital ambulance.
Another Delay.
In another case, Thomas O'Brien
Of 3701 Massachusetts, avenue NV,
was struck by an automobile at
11:19 am. Wednesday on Wiscon-
sin avenue, was admitted to Cas-
ualty Hospital at 1905 pm. after
having been transported also by
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 careful study of the tele-
phone calls and possible reasons
for the delay of the ambulances.
Commissioner Mason has asked for
recommendation to prevent such
delays.
Suggestion for 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 it might
be a 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 Column
bia, consisting of several agencies
here, DR.. Macdonald said he would
be willing to look into the mat
ter If necessary with view to any
suggestions which might improve
ambulance service to any injured
person"
'It 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 ONCE of Civilian Defense for
the District has cityWide program
for special ambulance service in
case of an air raid or other ajor
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 flow of traf-
fic accidents. The plan incor-
porates use of trucks, already fitted
as stretcher carriers: private cars,
taxicabs and privately owned am
balances.