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58
AMBULANCE SERVICE
To the Medical Officer of Health
I submit the Thirteenth Annual Report of the Croydon Ambulance
Service, for the year ended 31st December, 1954.
During the year the Service was called upon to deal with
95,254 patients, which necessitated 43 , 358 journeys and a mileage
of 421,684. This mileage shows an increase of 2.3% over that for
1953 (412, 178).
The following vehicles were delivered during the year:-
1 Bedford Utilecon
1 Daimler Ambulance
1 Bedford 30 Seater coach for M.D. children
and vehicles from this Service were disposed of as under:-
2 Albions (Ex R.A. P.)
1 Morris (Ex R.N.)
1 Armstrong Ambulance
2 Humber Hawk Sitting Case Cars
Thus, with the exception of two Hillman Minx sitting-case cars
and two Humber Pullman Ambulances which it is hoped will be replaced
in 1955, the fleet of Ambulance Service Vehicles is
relatively new, and in consequence the maintenance has not been
quite the same problem as in previous years.
Eighteen vehicles were fitted with radio-telephony in midyear,
and after a period spent in familiarisation, has proved of
inestimable value, with one incident clearly standing out as an
illustration, i.e. the accident at Croydon Gas Works, Purley Way
on 22nd November, 1954 when two men lost their lives due to fumes
from the coke hoppers. On this occasion it was possible to direct
7 ambulances to the scene and for them to arrive in a matter of
minutes, which could possibly have been of vital importance. But
the various times in which radio-telephony has been useful in
the re-direction of vehicles is too numerous to itemise, and it
is sufficient to say that not only has it justified the expense
of installation for the reasons quoted, but it is to be anticipated
that a general overall saving in mileage, petrol, etc.,
will be the eventual outcome.
Two members of this Service were presented with Royal Humane
Society Certificates on the recommendation of the Police for
their work of resuscitation on the case of coal-gas poisoning.