Historically; Ambulance Services along with lots of other public bodies had a requirement for developing an identity and an image that the public could instantly recognise and develop faith in. The sight and sound (Bells, Twin Tones or Sirens) of a liveried ambulance followed by a smartly turned out crew in an ambulance uniform has often given hope when all hope appears to have been lost when patients and their relatives are faced with a serious daunting medical or traumatic emergencies.
Typically, the roots of early uniforms were linked to the military and albeit that they may have looked smart in the day they were truly impractical to deliver modern day pre-hospital care.
Equally, it is important to reflect that modern uniform materials were not produced and waterproof and warm materials were sadly lacking. The answer often lay with heavy tunics and burdensome overcoats which made working in both hot and inclement weather and confined spaces rather challenging.