Armstrong Ambulance
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Emergency medical services |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Founder | William F. Armstrong Jr. |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Area served | Greater Boston |
Key people | Gale Armstrong Brady (chair & president) Richard Raymond (CEO) |
| Services | Emergency & non-emergency ambulance transport Organ transport |
| Website | armstrongambulance |
Armstrong Ambulance Service Inc. is a privately held EMS provider headquartered in Arlington, Massachusetts. Founded in 1946, it supplies 911 and medical-transport services to several Greater Boston municipalities and is one of a handful of Massachusetts providers accredited by the CAAS.[1]
History
[edit]U.S. Marine Corps veteran William F. “Bill” Armstrong Jr. started the business in 1946 with a single Cadillac ambulance operated from his family home in Arlington.[2] Armstrong later helped establish the Massachusetts Ambulance Association and led the company until his death on 7 March 2014, after which his daughter, Gale Armstrong Brady, became chair & president and long-time operations chief Richard Raymond was appointed CEO.[2]
Operations
[edit]Armstrong Ambulance operates multiple bases across Greater Boston, providing both emergency 911 response and scheduled medical transports. Crews include advanced-life-support (ALS) and basic-life-support (BLS) teams staffed 24 hours a day.
Primary 911 contracts (2024–25)
[edit]- Arlington – Provides paramedics for all advanced-life-support (ALS) responses.[3]
- Waltham – Three dedicated ALS/BLS units under a 24-hour contract.[4]
- Saugus – Selected in May 2018 after a competitive bid; provides both ALS and non-emergency transports.[5]
- Stoneham – Three-year agreement beginning 1 July 2024, including dedicated BLS transport units.[6]
- Melrose – Contract approved April 2025 for 24/7 ALS coverage.[7]
Fleet and bases
[edit]As of 2018, the company operated vehicles stationed at 10 locations across Greater Boston.[5]
Labor relations and regulatory issues
[edit]Armstrong’s workforce includes over 200 EMTs and paramedics. The company has formalized labor agreements and addressed state compliance investigations in recent years.
Labor relations
[edit]After a year-long organizing drive, 156 EMTs and paramedics voted in June 2023 to join Teamsters Local 25 and ratified their first collective-bargaining agreement by a 97 percent margin in February 2023. The agreement covers wages, staffing ratios, and training requirements.[8]
Regulatory issues
[edit]- 2018 training-record probe. A Massachusetts Department of Public Health investigation found that five Armstrong paramedics—including CEO Richard Raymond—obtained falsified ACLS, CPR and PALS credentials.[9]
- 2010–12 recertification scheme. State prosecutors said EMT instructor Thomas Codair Sr., “an EMT formerly at Armstrong Ambulance,” permitted dozens of emergency personnel to sign refresher-course rosters without attending class. Codair pleaded guilty in April 2012 and received a suspended jail sentence.[10] Earlier indictments noted that Codair had previously worked for Armstrong, although the company itself was not charged.[11]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "CAAS Newsletter – Summer 2019". Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services. 30 June 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ a b Waller, John (7 March 2014). "Bill Armstrong, Founder of Armstrong Ambulance, Dies at 89". Arlington Patch. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ "EMS/Rescue Division". Town of Arlington. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ "Emergency Medical Service (EMS)". City of Waltham. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ a b Turcotte, Bridget (May 30, 2018). "Saugus switches ambulance companies". The Daily Item. Lynn, MA. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ "Stoneham Fire Department Announces Armstrong Ambulance as New Ambulance Provider" (Press release). Stoneham Fire Department. 17 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ Pierce, Benjamin (24 April 2025). "Melrose Sounds Alarm on New Ambulance Service". Melrose Patch. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ "Teamsters Local 25 Armstrong Ambulance Workers Ratify First Contract" (Press release). Teamsters Joint Council 10 New England. 13 February 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ "Officials: Mass. paramedics falsified training records". EMS1. 7 November 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ "Former Mass. EMT sentenced to jail for falsifying training records". EMS1. 24 April 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ Oliveira Jr., Pedro (29 April 2011). "Four Men Indicted in Connection with Fraudulent EMT Recertification Scheme". Woburn Patch. Retrieved 7 June 2025.