Ambulance

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An ambulance is a vehicle that is made to take people who are sick or injured to a hospital or other medical facility. Ambulances help people who are involved in life-threatening Emergency situations. These include Motor Vehicle Accidents, Heart Attacks, Strokes, Seizures and other emergency situations. Ambulances and other medical vehicles have specialized equipment that helps in these emergencies.

The first ambulances were used on battlefields. They were carts pulled by horses that were used to take wounded soldiers to field hospitals.^[1] Horse-drawn ambulances were common in Europe and North America in the 19th century. Automobiles replaced horses in the early 1900s. The chief physician of Napoleon Bonapart, Dominique Jean Larrey^[2] invented a concept of a dedicated vehicle which is reserve to carry patients to the hospita. Nowadays, these can provide first aid or other emergency care. Ambulances and other medical vehicles have specialized emergency lights, sirens and horns that they use to warn people that they are coming down the road. Ambulances normally have Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) or Paramedics working in them. Ambulances may be used by a Rescue Squad, a separate Emergency Medical Services Agency or a Fire Department.

Ambulances are normally called by dialing a special emergency number. This number is different for each country. In the United Kingdom, the number is 999.^[3] In the United States, the number is 911;^[4] In Europe, the number is 112.^[5] A call to any of these numbers connects the caller to a specialized Emergency Telephone Operator or Dispatcher who works at an Emergency Dispatch or Control Facility. Once information from the calling person or persons have been given, the Emergency Telephone Operator or Dispatcher sends an ambulance or other Medical vehicles to the incident.

1. ↑ "Why Is An Ambulance Called An Ambulance". www.ambipalm.com. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
2. ↑ Royds, R. B. (1970-05-09). "Peripatetic Patient". BMJ. 2 (5705): 367–367. doi:10.1136/bmj.2.5705.367-b. ISSN 0959-8138.
3. ↑ "Calling 999 - London Ambulance Service NHS Trust". London Ambulance Service NHS Trust - accidents, traffic accidents, car, vehicle. 2017-08-14. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
4. ↑ "911 and Other Special Service Numbers". Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
5. ↑ "Single emergency number – missing children helpline". Your Europe. Retrieved 2024-04-19.