First Call vehicle
Encyclopedia
The First Call vehicle is a vehicle
used in the funeral
service industry. This type of vehicle is used to pick up the remains of a recently deceased person, and transport that person to the funeral home
for preparation. This initial pickup is called the "first call", hence the name of these vehicles. While some funeral homes will use the hearse
for these initial pickups, having vehicles for first calls and using the hearse solely for funerals reduces wear on hearses.
In many cases the vehicles used for this are minivans. In some cases, funeral homes purchase minivans that have been converted into first call vehicles by the same companies that produce hearses. In other cases, general purpose minivans are purchased without the rear seats installed.
In the United States, larger SUV's such as the Chevrolet Suburban
and Ford Excursion
have been employed. Their large wheelbase
, pickup truck
-derived chassis
and larger engines make them popular, well suited to their purpose and requiring little alteration. From the 1970s to the mid-1990s, full-sized station wagons such as the Chevrolet Caprice
, Buick Roadmaster
and Ford LTD
were popular options as well. Conversion on these ranged from tinting or blacking-out the rear windows, and installing a metal deck (or sometimes, just bars) to secure the stretcher or casket, to having the rear section modified as a landau
and the installation of a casket tray, similar to a hearse. Many of these remain in service.
It is not uncommon for older hearses to be employed as a first call vehicle. This often makes sense for the funeral home when a new hearse is purchased, as opposed to purchasing a second new vehicle.
The First Call vehicle is sometimes operated by an outside company that has contracts with various mortuaries and funeral homes, rather than by the funeral homes.
Vehicle
A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....
used in the funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
service industry. This type of vehicle is used to pick up the remains of a recently deceased person, and transport that person to the funeral home
Funeral home
A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the deceased and their families. These services may include aprepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral....
for preparation. This initial pickup is called the "first call", hence the name of these vehicles. While some funeral homes will use the hearse
Hearse
A hearse is a funerary vehicle used to carry a coffin from a church or funeral home to a cemetery. In the funeral trade, hearses are often called funeral coaches.-History:...
for these initial pickups, having vehicles for first calls and using the hearse solely for funerals reduces wear on hearses.
In many cases the vehicles used for this are minivans. In some cases, funeral homes purchase minivans that have been converted into first call vehicles by the same companies that produce hearses. In other cases, general purpose minivans are purchased without the rear seats installed.
In the United States, larger SUV's such as the Chevrolet Suburban
Chevrolet Suburban
Chevrolet offered a station wagon body, built on the 1/2 ton truck frame. This model was specifically built for National Guard units and Civilian Conservation Corps units. Much of the body was constructed from wood, and could seat up to eight occupants....
and Ford Excursion
Ford Excursion
The Ford Excursion is a full-size sport utility vehicle that was produced by the Ford Motor Company between model years 2000 and 2005 . Based on the Super Duty pickup truck platform, it served as Ford's largest SUV in its lineup during the tenure of its production and mainly competed against the...
have been employed. Their large wheelbase
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
, pickup truck
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
-derived chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
and larger engines make them popular, well suited to their purpose and requiring little alteration. From the 1970s to the mid-1990s, full-sized station wagons such as the Chevrolet Caprice
Chevrolet Caprice
The Chevrolet Caprice is a full-sized automobile produced by the Chevrolet Division of General Motors in North America for the 1965 through 1996 model years. Full-size Chevrolet sales peaked in 1965 with over a million sold. It was the most popular American car in the sixties and early seventies....
, Buick Roadmaster
Buick Roadmaster
The Roadmaster was an automobile built by the Buick division of General Motors. Roadmasters produced between 1936 and 1958 were built on Buick's longest non-limousine wheelbase and shared their basic structure with senior Oldsmobiles. Between 1946 and 1957 the Roadmaster was Buick's top of the line...
and Ford LTD
Ford LTD
The Ford LTD was a car produced by the Ford Motor Company in North America. A range of full-size cars wore various forms of the LTD nameplate from 1965 to 1991 in the United States...
were popular options as well. Conversion on these ranged from tinting or blacking-out the rear windows, and installing a metal deck (or sometimes, just bars) to secure the stretcher or casket, to having the rear section modified as a landau
Landau (car)
Landau, when used in referencing an automobile, generally means a simulated convertible.It is originally a coachbuilding term for a type of carriage; see Landau . Many coachbuilding terms transferred over to automobile usage, since coachbuilders began making motor car bodies instead, and because...
and the installation of a casket tray, similar to a hearse. Many of these remain in service.
It is not uncommon for older hearses to be employed as a first call vehicle. This often makes sense for the funeral home when a new hearse is purchased, as opposed to purchasing a second new vehicle.
The First Call vehicle is sometimes operated by an outside company that has contracts with various mortuaries and funeral homes, rather than by the funeral homes.