April 8 is Hall Ambulance Day in Taft
Mayor Randy Miller, on behalf of the Taft City Council, proclaimed April 8, 2015 as Hall Ambulance Day in the city of Taft, during the April 7 city council meeting. Hall Ambulance Founder & President Harvey L. Hall accepted the proclamation honoring the Company’s 20 Years of Paramedic Service to Taft and the Westside.
Joining Mr. Hall, were Myron Smith, Jr., manager of Hall CCT, Mark Corum, director of media services, and the B Shift crews assigned to the Taft station, including Paramedic Stephen Campbell, EMT Denise King, Paramedic Daniel Dubois, EMT David Wallace, and Paramedic Field Supervisor Mike Lopez.
Hall Ambulance began providing 9-1-1 paramedic service to Taft on March 6, 1995. Myron Smith, Sr. and his family had run Taft Ambulance for twenty-two years, but were ready to explore new adventures. Smith had but one company in mind to take on the responsibility of caring for those who fell victim to sudden illness or injury– that being Hall Ambulance Service. His son, Myron Smith, Jr., applied and joined the Hall Ambulance team, quickly excelling as an EMS professional, becoming a paramedic field supervisor before promoting to his current position as manager of Hall Critical Care Transport.
Taft is also home for several Hall Ambulance employees who work out of Post 21, the ambulance station located at 315 Kern St. Two paramedic crews are assigned to POST 21, and work 48-hour shifts. A paramedic field supervisor, who can serve as a first responder, splits their time between Taft and the other communities located within Hall Ambulance’s West Kern operations area.
With a population of nearly 10,000 people and the nearest emergency department located 30 miles away, Hall Ambulance serves as a lifeline for the people of Taft. In 2001, Hall made a further investment with the Westside in mind, when he expanded the Company’s capabilities to include air ambulance service.
Aside from providing exemplary paramedic care, Hall Ambulance has become an integral part of the community, supporting events such as Relay for Life and the Taft Christmas Parade. Hall Ambulance has also provided 13 Taft High School graduates with financial aid, through the Harvey L. Hall/Hall Ambulance Medical Scholarship.