Happy Ambulance Day
Who knew there is an internationally recognised day acknowledging the contribution to society our paramedics make? Well, there is. And it’s today, the International Day Of Medical Transporters.
To celebrate, we’ve thrown together a little gallery of some of the cooler and/or weirder ambulances from around the world.
Some ambo trivia.
- The word ambulance is derived from the Latin ambulare, meaning to walk or move about.
- The first recorded use of ambulances dates back to 1487 when the Spanish army moved casualties during the siege of Malaga, although there’s evidence of medical transportation dating back to 900AD.
- The St John’s Ambulance service started life in 1887 in Dublin, Ireland.
- The first motorised ambulance went into service in 1899 for the Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago.
- The first dedicated, mass-produced, car-based ambulance (as opposed to a vehicle that had been adapted for that purpose) was built by James Cunningham, Son & Company in New York. Named the Model 774 Automobile Ambulance, it had a 24kW four-cylinder engine. Inside, patients were transported on a suspended cot with seating for two attendants, aka ambos.
- The reason a lot of ambulances feature the word ‘ECNALUBMA’ on the front of the vehicle is so drivers can see the word the right way around in their rear-view mirrors.
Happy International Day of Medical Transporters, and thanks to all our hard-working ambos and paramedics for the work they do.
EH Holden Ambulance
Smart ambulance
Ghostbuster ambo
French chic ambulance
And another one
Seriously cool Swiss ambulance
Even dogs sometimes need an ambulance
Defender Ambulance
E-Class ambulance
Military ambulance
Floating ambulance
A Porsche/VW modular ambulance
Possibly James Ward's favourite ambulance
Even the humble Beetle was once an ambulance