Chapter De gemeentepolitie als zieken- en ongevallenvervoerder van 1924 tot 1979

Abstract

Between 1924 and 1979, 50 municipal police forces in the Netherlands were involved in transporting injured people by motor vehicle. As well as genuine ambulances, they also used auxiliary ambulances or multi-purpose vehicles, i.e. cars fitted with a stretcher. This task fell under their duty to maintain public order and deal with road accidents, which was entrusted to the police. During the German occupation of the Netherlands between May 1940 and May 1945, the police continued its task of transporting wounded people. After the Second World War, several police forces purchased multi-purpose vehicles, especially in smaller towns. Their busiest period came in the 1950s and 60s as a wave of traffic accidents swept across the Netherlands. In 1979, the role of the police in transporting wounded people came to an end because ambulance care had professionalized and the police wanted to focus on traditional tasks.