Virtual Museum EMS History

This is the first ambulance delivered to the Houston Fire Department in 1971. It was called a "Modulance" and was manufactured by the Modular Ambulance Corporation of Grand Prarie, Texas.

The Unit was assigned as "1101" and based out of the downtown main fire station located at 410 Bagby Street. The vehicle was revolutionary of that era in that it featured a 138 inch wheelbase and fully incorporated the latest ambulance design recommendations by the National Academy of Engineering. This included the use of blue warning lights towards the front and on top.

The Houston Fire Department took over the city's ambulance service on April 1, 1971 using a fleet of Dodge low-roof van vehicles. However, by October of 1972 the city had fully placed into service twenty-(22) Modulances which replaced the vans.

The interior of the ambulance shows a seperate defibrillator, EKG paper printout, an EKG scope and a cardiac pacing unit. All of these devices required a 110 volt power source which was supplied through a vehicle mounted inverter. The equipment, mounted on a rail, included a demand valve resuscitator, emisis cup, aspirator, electronic pulse monitor, oxygen unit and an aspirator. This configuration was soon replaced by a Telecare II system. Then Fire Chief C.R. "Jake" Cook and District Chief Lester O. "Whitey" Martin contributed greatly in their efforts to acquire the "Modulance" vehicle technology design capabilities of that era.

Keywords: 1971, Houston, houston ambulance, harris county emergency corps, houston

Last Revision Date: 3/4/08 - 9:07 AM