Emergency Vehicle and its history
Most of us rely on police cars when we want criminals apprehended the ambulance when we require emergency transportation to hospital, and fire engines when we want a fire put out. We however do not consider the history of the emergency vehicle and what the future holds. This article will look at the history of the police car, the ambulance and the fire truck.
An ambulance refers to a type of emergency vehicle used to carry patients to hospital, particularly during an emergency. The ambulance characteristically offers emergency medical care to patients at the scene of the accident as well as on the way to hospital. They are characterized by flashing lights and a siren, which warns other road users to give way. There is however other types of ambulances such as station wagons, truck, motorbikes that are used when it is not an emergency. The word ambulance is derived from the Latin word ambulare, which loosely translated means to walk or move about. This is in reference to the medics who went out to the battlefield and either carried or wheeled out wounded or dead soldiers using a wagon. During the American civil war, vehicles that were used to transport wounded soldiers were called ambulance wagons, and field hospitals referred to as ambulances. The first use however of the word ambulance in reference to a sort of emergency vehicle was about 1875 during the Crimean war.
Police cars today are almost impossible to outrun, and are equipped with computers that identify motorists. They are known to trail criminals and end in successful arrests partly due to the dependability of these vehicles and the skillful driving of the police officers. The first police car was made in Ohio and was the first emergency vehicle of its kind. It reached a top speed of 16 mph and could only go for 30 miles and would then need its battery charged. It was equipped with lights, a stretcher and a siren. The first task that this police car had to perform was to pick up a drunken man on the street.
Fire trucks are reputed as being big, domineering and effective at putting out fire. These trucks have saved us countless times in terms of damage to property, and are who we call on in case of a fire. The first fire engine looked very different form the one we have today. This emergency vehicle made its debut in 1760 and consisted simply of a water pump, hand pump and a small reservoir tank. Its maximum capacity reached the equivalent of two garden hoses. This fire truck also had wooden wheels, which would often disintegrate before reaching the scene of the fire. These trucks were considered to be unreliable and a waste of time.
We can therefore see that massive leaps have been taken in the area of an emergency vehicle. We rely on these vehicles for protection, transport to medical facilities and to put out fires. The ingenuity should not stop there. New technology should be explored to further improve the capabilities of these vehicles and to better serve us. emergency vehicle personnel should also be trained on new and better ways to serve the civilian population. We are however at a good place when we consider the innovations that have been made in emergency vehicles.
Extreme Tactical Dynamics is a one-stop shop for Flashlights, Dash Lights, Deck Lights, vehicle lights, and many other items for emergency vehicle professionals and their work. Please visit the site for more details of various items available – http://www.extremetacticaldynamics.com/