b'BRIGNALLSAMBULANCE SERVICE REUNION. . . . . . . .Memories of mutton chop sideburns and wild ridesMemoriesalong with theBob recalls. I was then, as I am now,owed special BBQ sauce when seven med- pretty car crazy, and the thought of ics, who worked for Brignalls fromdriving an ambulance with the siren themid-1960stotheearly1970s,andlightsactivatedwasthemost had a reunion at their old favouritethrilling thing I could conceive of. hangout, Haugens Chicken & Ribs inBack then the only quali cations Manchester. requiredtoworkasanambulance Its thetime we have gath- attendant were a chau eurs license Just imagine that you are a rst ered together in 50 years, said Bobandastandard aidcerti cate. teenaged boy and you are o ered rst the opportunity to drive anDeShane, who organized the reunion. Compare that to the years of intensive ambulance, at high speed, withInattendancewereDonHarperEMS training required today. Most of the siren wailing and the lightsof Prince Albert, Mike Benns, Georgetheguyswentontoupgradetheir Skerratt,BobDeShane,andBrianquali cationsthroughtheBordenHoltby,allofLindsay,WayneKylecourse. ashing.It was exciting, agreed theofPeterboroughandRobHoltby,Notonlydidtheseambulance former employees of BrignallswholivesnearGreenbank.Someattendantsshuttlepatientstothe Ambulance Service in Port Perry. oftheguysweresurprisedthatsohospital or the morgue, they worked manyresideinLindsaynowandasjacksofalltradesatCharlies they had never crossed paths. SomeTexaco station at the corner of 7A and recognized each other and some didSimcoe St. where the Petro Canada is not.Oldphotosandmemorabiliatoday.Charlie ran a one stop shop. sparkeddecades-oldstories.WayneHis ambulance drivers also pumped broughtalongaphotoofhiswed- gas, changed oil, sold tires, ran a taxi ding 48 years ago, when Mike servedservice, operated a tow truck and an-as one of his groomsmen. There wasswered the emergency phone. chuckling over long hair and muttonThetowncouncilsubsidized chop sideburns.Brignalls Ambulance Service to the Asteenagers,someofthemstilltune of $600 in 1964. The salary was high school students, (who skipped$400 a month after provincial funding Ambulance 1968. alottowork!),wereallemployedkicked in. The guys agreed that it was byCharlieBrignall.Atthetendermore of a community service. There ageof17,Charlieprovedhisen- were about 300 calls a year.trepreneurialspiritbyestablishingSad, tragic, and funny stories were BrignallsAmbulanceService.Hisall shared at the reunion. ambulance was a huge salmon- They liked to pull pranks. Waynerst coloured 1956 Cadillac. It had a mainrecalled the time that he couldntnd cot, a spare cot, and two hanging cothis red mini Cooper. Some of the guys positions. hadburieditinasnowbank!The Bob started working for Charlie inguys also played hockey together at 1969.Eighteen-years-old,hewasinthe rink behind the present location grade 13.of the CIBC bank.He came to ask me if I would con-Ambulance 1977. sider it, and I immediately said yes!Please turn to page 4FOCUS - AUGUST 20193'