Red Cross on the Highways
In March 1950, Governor J. Bracken Lee announced the “Red Cross on the Highways” program. All members of the Utah Highway Patrol were given Red Cross first aid training by Trooper Mike Gale. Troopers who completed this training received Red Cross emblems which were sewn on the right sleeve of the long sleeved shirts, directly above the cuff. Their patrol vehicles were marked with a metal insignia attached to the front license plate designating the vehicle as a Red Cross Emergency First Aid mobile unit.
Utah was only the second state in the western United States to have their entire fleet of Highway Patrol vehicles designated as first aid units. Washington State was the first. Colonel J. W. Dudler stated, “First aid training is one of the most valuable undertakings any police organization can institute.” Every six months, all Troopers received a refresher course in first aid from Trooper Gale. This program was the forerunner to the Emergency Medical Technician course which was developed twenty years later.