Nicholas Studer
PCS Elected Director 2022-2025
Went on vacation recently, toured two locations that our 1961 Eureka-Cadillac "Hi-Boy" ambulance resided at in the past. http://www.professionalcarsociety.org/forums/showthread.php?t=18181 and http://www.professionalcarsociety.org/forums/showthread.php?t=18944 for photos/updates on the car itself.
The ambulance arrived in Socorro, NM in January 1970, as shown at http://www.professionalcarsociety.org/forums/showpost.php?p=841906049&postcount=67 . Photos from the newspaper that week, plus a single Polaroid I have of it after being repainted in white - show it sitting on the apron at the pictured station. The fire crew was very kind in letting me look around and take photos. You can see little has changed since 1970. There is now a parking lot/storage shed where a house used to be to the right of the double-bay. A newer ambulance has taken the Eureka's bay spot these days.
Sometime later, the Eureka made its way to Tres Piedras, NM. This small town is located at the crossroads of two state highways, and actually has a fair bit of traffic. Unfortunately, the population has significantly declined over the past twenty years in particular, and the primary employer in the area - the National Park Service - has employees living elsewhere. The Volunteer Fire Dept - like many rural and volunteer services - has plenty of equipment/apparatus but struggles for members. The Fire Chief was very kind and showed us where the Eureka Hi-Boy resided, now occupied by a mid-2000s Wheeled Coach Type III van/modular that is the current primary ambulance. Unfortunately, staffing issues prohibit it from seeing much use. As I understand it - the Eureka was not the primary ambulance for long, with a 1970s van ambulance arriving and the Eureka being relegated to backup. Then a mid-1980s Chevrolet Type I truck/modular came in and the Eureka made its way to Taos County EMS for parade use. The van now resides in a field near the station.
The ambulance arrived in Socorro, NM in January 1970, as shown at http://www.professionalcarsociety.org/forums/showpost.php?p=841906049&postcount=67 . Photos from the newspaper that week, plus a single Polaroid I have of it after being repainted in white - show it sitting on the apron at the pictured station. The fire crew was very kind in letting me look around and take photos. You can see little has changed since 1970. There is now a parking lot/storage shed where a house used to be to the right of the double-bay. A newer ambulance has taken the Eureka's bay spot these days.
Sometime later, the Eureka made its way to Tres Piedras, NM. This small town is located at the crossroads of two state highways, and actually has a fair bit of traffic. Unfortunately, the population has significantly declined over the past twenty years in particular, and the primary employer in the area - the National Park Service - has employees living elsewhere. The Volunteer Fire Dept - like many rural and volunteer services - has plenty of equipment/apparatus but struggles for members. The Fire Chief was very kind and showed us where the Eureka Hi-Boy resided, now occupied by a mid-2000s Wheeled Coach Type III van/modular that is the current primary ambulance. Unfortunately, staffing issues prohibit it from seeing much use. As I understand it - the Eureka was not the primary ambulance for long, with a 1970s van ambulance arriving and the Eureka being relegated to backup. Then a mid-1980s Chevrolet Type I truck/modular came in and the Eureka made its way to Taos County EMS for parade use. The van now resides in a field near the station.