Research: Military: They Also Served
They Also Served --- Series Descriptions
Emergency Medical Service
A4286. Survey and Planning Files, 1940-1945. 4 cu. ft.
Arrangement: Organized into six subseries: Subseries 1, Blackout and Casualty Stations Files, 1942-1944, 1.2 cu. ft., is alphabetical by county; Subseries 2, Emergency Base Hospitals Files, 1942-1945, 0.6 cu. ft., is alphabetical by subject; Subseries 3, Emergency Medical Field Unit Reports, 1940-1943, 0.6 cu. ft., is alphabetical by county; Subseries 4, District Medical Officers Files, 1941-1943, 0.6 cu. ft., is alphabetical by subject; Subseries 5, General Files, 1941-1943, 0.6 cu. ft., has no apparent order; Subseries 6, County Readiness Books, ca. 1943, 0.4 cu. ft., is alphabetical by county.
This series contains correspondence, reports, and memoranda relating to the administration and coordination of the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) in its duties to respond to medical emergencies caused by bombings. This series contains materials relating to the establishment and evaluation of blackout procedures and casualty stations in each county. The EMS undertook these efforts to minimize the number and severity of bombing casualties. Well-prepared casualty stations were integral to effective response; therefore a survey of each county's (and the State's larger cities') casualty stations was conducted which delineated the facilities and amenities, including type of heat; type of lighting; if a telephone was present; if a canteen was present; if a toilet was present; number of stretchers available; number of beds available; doctors and nurses on staff; auxiliary staff available; number of ambulances available; and equipment holdings. The office records of Dr. Ward L. Oliver, who worked to establish a network of hospitals which could be relied upon to tend to the needs of massive bombing casualties, are found in this series. The records relate to the surveying of resources and personnel. In addition, this series contains records relating to the inspection and supplies available at these hospitals.Reports entitled "Report of Local Chief of Emergency Medical Service to N.Y. State Health Preparedness Commission" from each county and the State's larger cities contain information on Emergency Medical Field Units including address of participating hospitals; number of beds available; number of physicians and nurses; auxiliary personnel; and transportation arrangements. Also, these reports discuss casualty stations (including equipment inventories), first aid posts, and transportation facilities. This information was collected to assist in the allocation and coordination of resources among hospitals.
This series also contains materials relating to the administration of the Emergency Medical Service and the coordination of meetings, supplies, and facilities. The State had three District Medical Offices, but Roy Seidman from the Rochester office is best represented.Especially well-documented are blood plasma issues such as designation of holding centers, distribution, and a policy for sharing or loaning plasma units. This information was collected to assist in the allocation and coordination of resources among the State's districts.Furthermore, this series contains materials on emergency nursing, plasma reserves, and District Medical Officer J. A. Walsh. These records reveal the EMS's attempts to solve specific problems of supply and personnel.
The County Readiness Books consist of approximately 240 5 x 8 inch cards arranged alphabetically by county. Each county and most larger cities have at least one card containing summary information on: hospitals, equipment and personnel; the amount of plasma available; if a federal grantee blood bank existed among the hospitals in the county; and whether the organizations were part of the War Council. These cards provided a summary of the State's medical resources and would permit a fast and efficient allocation of those resources when responding to bombing casualties' needs.
