AMBULANCE ADVANCES

The Friday File: The first known ambulance service was introduced in Cincinnati in 1865. In 1869, NYC horses were kept harnessed throughout the day to save time. This practice was soon replaced by drop harnesses lowered directly onto each animal using overhead pulleys. Either way ambulances were ready in 30 seconds. In 1870, 1,401 emergency calls were recorded. The first mass-produced ambulances appeared in 1909 and were 32-horsepower 4-cylinder vehicles.