setting up a gurney

John Royark JR

PCS Member
First, if this is in the wrong forum, please move it to one more suitable.
Is there a correct way to set up a gurney in a combo (especially late 40s early 50s), or was it a personal preference? For example, what all would have been on it as far as number of sheets, blankets, and were they just folded and stacked at the foot, or made up like a bed (Ive seen both ways), things like that.
 
Ours were made up like a bed, with the blanket folded up on top of the cot. Bottom fitted sheet on mattress, then regular sheet folded up on top of cot, then plastic pillow with a pillow slip on it at head of cot.
 
Gurney

When I was working ambulance in the 70's we had a "winter" season and a "summer season" gurney look.

If it was warm season we just had a pillow in center of gurney with a standard white folded sheet and hand towel on top that was secured with the center belt.

Cool season we had a sheet,and blanket folded at both ends and folded under with belts on top and pillow at head with a hand towel that had companys name embroidered on green stripe running down center.
This was my favorite look it was pretty classy looking.:thumbsup:
 
From my experience, the way ambulance services set up their cots depended on how busy they were and tradition. A small service doing a couple of calls per day had a cotton sheet folded and pinned like a fitted sheet around the mattress. Then some folded clean sheets that would be opened and wrapped around the patient. Usually two or three on the cot so you could make it up for another call without having to go back to the ambulance. Pillows were "borrored" from hospital ER's and had cotton pillow cases. We carried a couple of folded towels under the pillow. In the winter, we added a wool blanket.

At a much busier metro area ambulance service we simply took a large cotton sheet and wrapped it around the matrress and tied the ends to make it tight over the mattress. Another large sheet was used to wrap around the patient. We used a washable cotton thermal blanket in the winter. Pillows had paper pillow cases. We still carried folded towels under the pillow. There were also some folded Chux carried under the mattress and depending on the situation, you would place a chux under the patient.

From the early 70's until just before I left day to day EMS in 1990, we used zippered cot covers on all of the cots. This was at low volume rural ambulance services as well as busy urban ambulance services. So the sheets and blankets were all contained inside the cot cover. (I've been looking for a cot cover to use in my ambulance but none like the ones we used back in that era are around anymore. Seems to be more difficult to find than Grimes lights.)

Today the busy urban services in this area leave the bare mattress visible and throw out a disposable sheet and buckle seatbelts over the patient. In the winter, they add a washable blanket. Clean up is much easier, you just hose it off with disinfenctant and on to the next call.

I'm sure others will have other ways that they made up their cots.
 
I prefer the LA City wino fold, others the Tolland County taco. As Scott said it can vary from service to service, crew to crew. There is no one right way. Try to keep it period and you will be good.
 
the key was the gurney was made up in the older cars. we always laid the blanket out, sheet over that and then try folded the side up tucked the end in at the bottom. pellow in a case under the top belt.
 
I'm having a bit of a hard time picturing some of these in my mind - they sure sound fancy though. When I was a medic we generally just laid a flat sheet on the stretcher and tucked it in underneath on the sides.

Anyone got any photos of the above setups?
 
I'm having a bit of a hard time picturing some of these in my mind - they sure sound fancy though. When I was a medic we generally just laid a flat sheet on the stretcher and tucked it in underneath on the sides.

Anyone got any photos of the above setups?

I agree, pictures would be great!
 
don't make me go out side it's raining. Ok here are two made up ones I have.
the first is a Washington 21 with a fitted cot sheet. the other is a ferno 30 with my version of a made up cot. I can show you how to do it when we get together. but if your bringing the 49 they would not have used belts on the gurney in 49. but with the fitted sheet the top sheet and or blanket would be folded square and placed on the gurney as would the pallow. I had to get a little creative to put Fred on the 30 but he made it
 

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Not the best photos,but you get the idea.

Warmer Weather with sheet,pillow,towel. and 2nd photo showing cooler weather with blanket encased in sheet and folded under,with pillow and towel.

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My own setup is exactly how they were made here. My boss showed me how he installed the sheets and blankets. As a personal choice I used a red and a grey, to fit with the headliner.

Im a little bit obcessed on details, my cots were equipped with modern straps colors with life stars so I changed them for black ones with the old airplane style belt.
 

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Thanks guys. That's kind of how Ive had mine set up, so Im ok. I had the fitted sheet and top sheet on the mattress (as you would on your home bed), and blanket folded at the foot, and of course pillow at the head.
ED, you are right, no straps/belts on the 49 gurney.
 
it all came down to how the boss wanted you to do it. we always strapped the loose stuff to the gurney to avoid getting in the house only to find it half way down the drive'

that a nice looking 32 there Martin.
 
it all came down to how the boss wanted you to do it. we always strapped the loose stuff to the gurney to avoid getting in the house only to find it half way down the drive'

that a nice looking 32 there Martin.

So, since Im the boss I get to do it how I want, woohoo!
Thanks for all your replies, I just wanted to make sure mine looked ok. Here is a picture I took a couple years ago. Ive added a little, but same look.
1949 S&S Knickerbocker combo 95.jpg
 
turn the pillow side ways. that way it not hanging over the edge and you won't knock it off go in. that was the big thing dropping stuff you need in a mud puddle on the way in. so if it doesn't hang over the edge it stay on.

but your the boss just passing on some hard knocks schooling
 
turn the pillow side ways. that way it not hanging over the edge and you won't knock it off go in. that was the big thing dropping stuff you need in a mud puddle on the way in. so if it doesn't hang over the edge it stay on.

but your the boss just passing on some hard knocks schooling

Yeah, that's one of the things I changed recently (and because the reason you mentioned, every time I got into it I knocked it off), I think it looks better with it turned too.
 
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