Hall Purchases Kern Ambulance
Bakersfield-based Hall Ambulance Service, Inc. has received approval for its purchase of Kern Ambulance Service, which provides paramedic service to the city of Wasco and Lost Hills. The County of Kern Board of Supervisors approved Amendment No. 2 to Agreement 871-2006 reflecting the change in ownership during their morning session on April 8, 2014.
Kern County Public Health Services Director Matthew Constantine made the recommendation to County Supervisors in a letter dated April 8, 2014, stating, “They have proven their ability to operate an ambulance company in compliance with the County’s requirements.”
According to Hall Ambulance Founder and President Harvey L. Hall, the Company’s last acquisition of a rural ambulance company took place fifteen years ago, when it purchased Shafter Ambulance. “I am excited about this opportunity to bring quality, Hall Ambulance paramedic services to the city of Wasco and Lost Hills,” Hall said.
Hall Ambulance will officially commence service on Thursday, April 24, 2014, at which time two new paramedic ambulances will be logged-on, ready to begin responding to requests for medical aid. A paramedic and an emergency medical technician staff each ambulance, trained to assess a patient’s condition, and render care while transporting to the hospital. Every Hall ambulance is stocked with advanced life support medical supplies including coronary and telemetry monitoring equipment, mobile data terminals and vehicle locators based on global positioning satellite technology. When someone calls 9-1-1, this equipment allows emergency medical dispatchers from Hall Ambulance’s nationally accredited communications center to respond the closest available ambulance to someone suffering from sudden illness or injury.
Hall said that he has offered employment to the incumbent workforce of 20 paramedics, EMTs and a bookkeeper/office clerk at Kern Ambulance, provided they are successful in meeting his company’s pre-employment procedures.
During a meet and greet this past week, Hall stated that he was impressed by the enthusiasm exhibited by the employees upon learning of the change in ownership, and the level of certification that many of the Kern Ambulance employees possess, including paramedic preceptor. He encouraged those working as EMTs to further their career once they come on-board by taking advantage of the Company-sponsored paramedic school training.
Respected throughout the pre-hospital care industry, Hall Ambulance Service is known for setting the bar when it comes to providing exemplary customer care, investing in technology and delivering high quality paramedic service to the communities it serves.
Providing a positive customer experience is something that Hall holds close to his heart. To ensure his expectations are being met, patients receive a quality survey following their transport inquiring about the service they received. The results are impressive, with an average survey score of 4.6 out of 5, and a total combined customer satisfaction rating of 95%. In fact, 66% percent of respondents stated that the service was “exemplary” across all five measurements of the Company’s success. Hall personally reviews each comment, forwarding any concerns to a member of his management team to be researched and followed up on with the customer, if necessary.
Kern County’s EMS system design is divided into 10 geographic ambulance-operating areas, which operate without competition. In return, each ambulance company is required to respond to every call for service, and must meet very high performance standards, including 25 categories of response time requirements that must be met for each EOA per month. The rates an ambulance company can charge for its services are regulated by the County Board of Supervisors.Founded in 1971, Hall Ambulance Service, Inc. provides 9-1-1 paramedic service to the cities of Arvin, Bakersfield, California City, Shafter, Taft, Tehachapi, Wasco, and the communities of Bear Valley Springs, Boron, Buttonwillow, Caliente, Dustin Acres, Fellows, Frazier Park, Golden Hills, Lamont, Lebec, Lost Hills, Maricopa, McKittrick, Mettler, Mojave, North Edwards, Pine Mountain Club, Rosamond, Valley Acres and Willow Springs, California.