It Started on a Dare
The prologue leading to the first chapter of the Hall Ambulance story began on a dare—literally.
In 1960, Harvey L. Hall was employed as an orderly when a friend, working as an ambulance attendant, dared him to go on a ride-along. The experience was so exhilarating that the next day he embarked on what would result in a 58-year career as a servant to humanity.
Even in those early days, his passion and dedication were readily apparent. A 1967 article in The Bakersfield Californian, which detailed his heroic efforts to save a child, contained a quote that would set the stage for the kind of ambulance service he would eventually build. Asked how he felt after delivering the child to the hospital, Hall said, “It is my duty to perform to the greatest of my ability. I am dedicated to the ambulance industry…towards upgrading the profession and being able to preserve lives.”
With a decade of experience, Hall was ready to establish an ambulance service built on his vision and ideals of care, compassion, and community. On February 10, 1971, Harvey L. Hall founded Hall Ambulance Service from his residence in Bakersfield. Hall Ambulance quickly established itself as a provider of high-quality ambulance service based on exemplary patient care.
Since 1971, the Company has stayed at the forefront of advancements in emergency medical services and investments in technology. This included introducing Bakersfield’s first paramedic service (1975), making Hall Ambulance one of California’s first communities to implement this level of care; implementing Kern County’s first critical care transport program (2009); the Company’s Communications Division assuming dispatch of 100% of all requests for medical aid throughout Kern County (2015); and the opening of the state-of-the-art Harvey L. Hall EMS Academy (2019).
Through the years, Hall Ambulance’s positive reputation resulted in other cities seeking to bring Hall Ambulance to their community. The first expansion was to Arvin (1975), followed by Lamont (1976), Frazier Park (1978), Tehachapi (1979); Mojave, Rosamond, California City, and Boron (1994); Taft (1995), Shafter (1999), Wasco (2014), and Delano (2021).
In April 2018, Mr. Hall became ill due to sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) and passed away on May 19, 2018, just two weeks and seven hours following diagnosis. His wife, Lavonne C. Hall stepped in as President and CEO. Despite being enormous shoes to fill, Mrs. Hall rose to the occasion, providing exemplary leadership and ensuring continuity in operations based on her husband’s ideals of care, compassion, and community. Supported by a dedicated leadership team, Mrs. Hall led the company through the opening of the Harvey L. Hall EMS Academy, Hall Ambulance’s 50th Anniversary, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the acquisition of another service area, increasing Hall Ambulance’s coverage area to 94% of the population in Kern County, California.
In the summer of 2023, Mrs. Hall announced that while remaining the sole owner of Hall Ambulance, she would be reducing her daily involvement with the Company, naming Johnathon R. Surface as president & chief executive officer. As chairman of the board and chief administrative officer, Mrs. Hall remains engaged in matters of significance and importance.
Mr. and Mrs. Hall’s Impact on the Private Ambulance Industry
In 2020, on the 50th Anniversary of the Wedworth-Townsend Paramedic Act, the California Ambulance Association in association with the National EMS Museum published a special edition of its Siren magazine. Within it a special section entitled, “Answering the Call: California’s EMS Legacy” profiled Mr. Hall as one of 17 native Californians for their impact on shaping EMS in the United States.
In April 2024, the American Ambulance Association (AAA) named Lavonne C. Hall, as a recipient of the Vanguard Award. The distinction honors women with at least 35 years of service who have blazed the trail for fellow female emergency medical services (EMS) professionals.
Leadership
Harvey L. Hall
founder 1971 – 2018
Lavonne C. Hall
chairman of the board and chief administrative officer
Jonathon R. Surface
president and chief executive officer
Ben Andersen
Chief Financial Officer
Jenny Ramirez
vice president of Human Resources
Myron Smith
vice president of Operations
Mark Corum
director of media services
Christine Harker
director, Harvey L. Hall EMS Academy
Dr. Ron Ostrom
medical director
Heather Starr
director, Billing & Business Services
Darrell Stapley
Ambulance Division Operations Manager, Metro
Ryan Strange
Ambulance Division Operations Manager, North Kern
Armando Lazaro
Ambulance Division Operations Manager, South Kern
Terry Adams
manager of Facilities Maintenance
Jennifer Att
manager, Quality Assurance
Lashika Britton
manager, Communications Center
Tracy Burnside
manager, Business Office
Eric Mattice
manager, Hall Commercial Vehicle Service
Jaime Robles
manager, Medical Supply Services
Heather Lee
Asst. Manager Personnel Scheduling
