The City of Edina’s first rescue vehicle, purchased in 1953, was quickly christened “the breadwagon” because it looked “like a big bread truck that the Holsum Bread guy used to deliver bread,” recalls former fire chief Ted Paulfranz. “In fact, somebody once ran into it on the highway because the driver didn’t think it looked like a fire truck.”
While the first Edina ambulance may have looked less than impressive, the vehicle allowed Edina firefighters to quickly transport patients to a hospital rather than waiting 30 minutes or more for another ambulance to arrive. Until 1965, Edina did not have a hospital, so having nearby medical assistance helped save lives.
Because the “bread wagon” was little more than a transport vehicle, in 1955 Edina purchased its first fully equipped rescue squad. “That was really slick because (we could run) two ambulances,” says another former chief, Bob Buresh. According to the village newsletter, 400 people received emergency medical care by police or fire employees in the first year of emergency vehicle service.
By 1975, Buresh wanted firefighters cross-trained as paramedics, although most departments at the time did not combine the duties. “Edina always seemed to be a progressive fire department,” says another former chief, Bill Feck. “The leadership always appeared to be looking beyond."
From its inauspicious beginning, Edina Fire and Rescue soon established itself as a leader in providing emergency medical care to citizens. Today, Edina is unique in Hennepin County for running its own ambulance service. Recently, the Edina Fire Department was recognized by the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) as the No. 1 place in the nation for cardiac arrest survival, and has a response time of less than two minutes.
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Edina Historical Society archives include dozens of oral histories with city employees, business owners, pastors and ordinary citizens. To volunteer as an interviewer, contact executive director, Marci Matson at 612.928.4757 or edinahistory@yahoo.com
