OCR Text |
Show FAST SERVICE" , OIICBULAKCE CALL ASSURED Mayor Declares Prompt Response to Be Made , to Accidents Official assurance that steps have been taken to prevent pre-vent anv future delavs in Betting Bet-ting ambulances to traffic accident ac-cident scenes and the. first "kickback" from a new policv of sending severe accident cases to the Salt Lake General hospital came Monday. Developments were: 1. Mayor John M. Wallace said he had been assured by Chief of Police William C Webb and Edwin . C Wool ley Jr, public safety building build-ing manager, that ambulana service serv-ice will be provided promptly wherever needed. 2. The Salt Lake General hospital, hos-pital, receiving Its first patient from the city under the new policy, promptly "fired back" the patient to the police emergency hospital after ascertaining he was not severely se-verely injured. Mayer Investigates Mayor Wallace's assertion came after he Investigated report delay In providing ambulance service for two Salt Lake City pedestrians se-, se-, verely injured In a traffic mishap Friday night. The victims were William Davidson. David-son. 19, of 240 East South Temple street, who suffered a fractured leg, and Glenn Gardiner, 23, same address, who received a fractured ) arm. Both were struck by the same automobile as they crossed Easteouth Temple street In the 200 block. Spectators complained of delay In getting ambulances to the scene, 1 and police said, without making a written report to the effect, that there was a delay of 35 minutes. The delay, It was reported, was because be-cause of a police department practice prac-tice of not calling an ambulance from the Salt Lake Transportation company, which contracts With the city for service, until investigators 1 have gone to an accident scene and determined whether there Is need for such service. Pays By Call The city pays the firm 12.85 per rail for ambulances, and Mr. Woolley said the practice was adopted to avoid unnecessary calls. "Chief Webb and Mr. Woolley both assure me that In cases requiring re-quiring ambulance service, an ambulance am-bulance will be sent out promptly," Mayor Wallace said. "A great many calls come In which are not proper city cases, such as requests to take patients from homes to hospitals. "Ordinarily, a prowl car or traffic traf-fic Investigators' car, with two-way two-way radio. Is within two or three minutes of an accident scene. The tOaUaiH oo rm Wtnt iColUBM S4X Prompt Ambulance Service In Accident Calls Assured understood some such assertion waa made to police. Dr. George N. Curtis, General hospital superintendent, said he had not ascertained who called pone to ask for return of Mitchell to the emergency hospital, but that he doubted anyone became "hard boiled" in demanding his return. "After we received Mitchell, fl Horoscope showed hi ankle was sprained, not fractured, and that hospitalization was not necessary,'' Dr. Curtis said. "We cannot keep such cases." Mitchell then (pent Saturday night In the emergency hospital and was discharged Sunday, nurses reporting he was able to walk out Mitchell waa "broke," It was learned, and emergency hospital nurses "chipped In" to buy him sandwiches. The policy of sending severe In-Jury In-Jury cases to the General hospital was adopted by the city commission commis-sion last week because the hospital has facilities such a X-rays end surgical rooms and can provide "after treatment" necessary for a patient's recovery. The emergency emer-gency hospital Is to be used only as a dressing station. ICOiiMnail Freea pass Oss) officer are trained In first aid and are able to administer to patients. pa-tients. "In many cases, the ambulance It not necessary, as the prowl car or investigators can arrive at the scene and determine if there Is need for an ambulance. Chief Webb and Mr. Woolley feel the circumstances circum-stances Friday night were unusual In that the patients each suffered a fracture. "When needed, an ambulance will be aent out promptly. Otherwise, Other-wise, the prowl or Investigators' ears will take care of the situation unless there are fractures or other circumstances requi ring major treatments." Hospital Case The General hospital case was that ef Bert Mitchell, 36, listed as a transient, who waa taken to the emergency hospital by police Friday Fri-day night after he was hurt In a tight. He suffered a cut head and injured ankle. Mitchell spent Friday night In the emergency hospital and on Saturday, Sat-urday, Dr. Henry Rails, police surgeon, sur-geon, ordered him transferred to the General hospital because It was feared Mitchell's ankle was fractured. frac-tured. Two hours after Mitchell was received at the General hospital police were called by the hospital and told to come back after the patient, that his ankle was not fractured. It waa reported the hospital hos-pital told police that Mitchell would be "turned out" If polios did not call for him. Dr. Rail said he was not fa-miliar fa-miliar with details, but that he |