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On exhibit January 10 – April 4, 2009
New Red Lights and Sirens Exhibit Opens at CAM
by Jim Richter
Throughout history, people have had to deal with emergencies that threatened individuals’ lives and the safety of entire communities. The ancient Romans had night fire watchers (Vigilis) who were equipped with hooked poles to pull down buildings to stop the spread of fire. They also used water buckets and woven mats that could be wetted and placed on the fire. People wounded in battle or accidents were transported in whatever conveyance was available; no specialized ambulances were available.
Over many centuries, only minimal progress was made to improve on these ancient techniques. In about 900 a.d., the earliest Anglo-Saxon ambulances were wagons equipped with hammocks. It wasn’t until the 1700s that ambulances began to be used in any numbers. They were first developed by the military for use on battlefields after the fighting had ended. These early ambulances were pulled by horses until the invention of motorized vehicles in the 20th century.
The fire engine started as a hand-powered pump pulled through the streets by teams of volunteers. Water was provided to the pumps by “bucket brigades” of local residents using leather buckets kept in each home for this purpose. Over time, the teams of volunteers were replaced by teams of horses, and the pumps were powered by steam. Water was provided by hoses leading to the nearest water supply. And then, with the advent of the gasoline engine, everything changed again, leading to the fire engine as we know it today.
The Red Lights and Sirens: Vintage Emergency Vehicles exhibit, which runs from January 10, 2009 to April 4, 2009 at the California Auto Museum, will feature fire vehicles and ambulances from the beginning of the automobile age. Although these early vehicles may seem quaint and obsolete to us today, they were an impressive improvement on the equipment that had come before them.
Fire Engines:
During the first decades of the 20th century, fire apparatus became more mechanized and more reliable than the old horse-drawn, steam-powered pumps that they replaced. The new engines could sit waiting for the next fire, ready to be started and driven to the fire at a moments notice. On the other hand, it takes a long time to get up a head of steam in a steam-driven engine, so fires had to be maintained in the fire boxes, burning coal every day. And the horses had to be fed and exercised daily, whether or not there was a fire.
This exhibit includes five fire vehicles ranging from the horse-drawn era to 1930. Vehicles on exhibit include an 1895 horse-drawn chemical truck, a 1915 Seagrave fire engine (pumper), a 1929 Seagrave ladder truck, an American LaFrance generator and searchlight truck, and a 1930 GMC LaFrance multipurpose vehicle.
All of these fire vehicles have been restored, and each has its own story to tell. For example, the 1915 Seagrave pumper was manufactured with a brass engine block. It is almost certainly the last working brass engine in the United States, perhaps in the world. The 1929 Seagrave ladder truck was purchased by the Woodland Fire Department in 1929 and still belongs to them, though it is no longer in use. The wooden extension ladder is original to the truck.
Ambulances:
 For centuries, the accepted theory of emergency medicine was that the ambulance would pick up patients who were wounded or sick and transport them as quickly as possible to the hospital. Little or no care was provided by the ambulance attendants. For many years, small towns in the U.S. depended on the local mortuary to provide ambulance service using their hearses. This was an efficient use of resources, as the hearse was well designed to carry a person lying down.
After the Second World War, ambulances slowly were equipped to provide emergency medical care to the patient before and during transport, and the ambulance attendants became EMTs and paramedics. Today’s ambulances are miniature clinics, equipped to provide advanced care to patients before they reach the hospital.
There are two medical response vehicles in this exhibit. The first is a 1916 GMC military ambulance, which served during the First World War. It is designed to travel over difficult battlefield terrain and bring multiple wounded soldiers to a field hospital.
The second is an aluminum-bodied 1926 Cunningham ambulance, originally used in a small town in Maine. The Cunningham Company was best known for its very expensive, luxury automobiles and hearses. This is believed to be the only Cunningham ambulance still in existence. The contrast between the spartan, simple military ambulance and the elegant luxury of the Cunningham is quite striking.
California Auto Museum is open seven days a week from 10am – 6pm, taking the last admission at 5pm. Museum admission: $7 Adults; $6 Seniors (65+); $3 Students with current ID; Under 5 free. Group rates and AAA/Banazzle discounts available.
Red Lights and Sirens Special Events
On Saturday, April 4 from 11am – 3pm the California Auto Museum will host Kids’ Safety Day, a community event focused on informing visitors how to keep kids safe in our community. Enjoy booths from local organizations such as AAA, the MADD California Charter Office, and Safetyville USA. Meet local emergency service personnel, get up and close and personal with emergency vehicles of today, purchase lunch, have a safety seat check up performed, and visit the arts & crafts area for kids.
This event is free with Museum admission ($7 Adults; $6 Seniors 65+; $3 Students with current ID; Under 5 free) and is sponsored by Midtown Monthly and AAA. Don’t miss out on this family-friendly event and your last chance to see the Museum’s Red Lights and Sirens exhibit which features fire vehicles and ambulances from the beginning of the automobile age as well as a 1964 Dodge 880 Pursuit police cruiser. For more information about this event call (916) 442-6802.
Special Events sponsored by
 
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