By the late 1960s, the ambulance was by far the most-used vehicle in the Bower Hill VFD fleet. The 1960 GMC was suitable for the purpose, but it was no longer state-of-the-industry. By this time, the purpose-built ambulance from one of the big specialty builders was regarded as the standard. Nonetheless, when Bower Hill went ambulance shopping in 1969, the goal was a high-top suburban type with four-wheel drive, specifically, on an International Travelall chassis. Nothing of the type was readily available from any of the local dealers. So, after some research and spirited discussion, the department opted for this Superior Coach on a Cadillac chassis. This was a refined vehicle with an excellent ride for patients and crews, and had such features as traction sanders (like on rail vehicles, these deposit sand in front of the rear tires for traction on snow or ice), air conditioning, and, in a first for Bower Hill, an automatic transmission.


There wasn't much more room for attendants to take care of a patient than there was in the old GMC, and the very heavy single rear door took a bit of effort to open. The vehicle could carry all the necessary equipment for basic patient care, and had onboard oxygen and suction systems. A peculiarity was the way it achieved the capability to transport two patients. The second patient would be put on a folding stretcher or spine board that could be suspended from straps that retracted from the head liner. Both the patient on the primary cot and the one "hanging" above had to be totally supine. There was no more than a few inches clearance between the two. This feature was used by Bower Hill only once, during the total evacuation of the old John J. Kane Hospital when the employees went on strike in 1979.