Armstrong Ambulance

Armstrong Ambulance Service Inc.

Company type	Private
Industry	Emergency medical services
Founded	1946 (1946)
Founder	William F. Armstrong Jr.
Headquarters	Arlington, Massachusetts , 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.com

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 Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS). ^[1]

History

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

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)

• 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

As of 2018, the company operated vehicles stationed at 10 locations across Greater Boston. ^[5]

Labor relations and regulatory issues

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

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

• 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

• Emergency medical services in the United States
• Massachusetts Ambulance Association

References

1. "CAAS Newsletter – Summer 2019". Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services. 30 June 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
2. Waller, John (7 March 2014). "Bill Armstrong, Founder of Armstrong Ambulance, Dies at 89". Arlington Patch. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
3. "EMS/Rescue Division". Town of Arlington. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
4. "Emergency Medical Service (EMS)". City of Waltham. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
5. Turcotte, Bridget (May 30, 2018). "Saugus switches ambulance companies". The Daily Item. Lynn, MA. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
6. "Stoneham Fire Department Announces Armstrong Ambulance as New Ambulance Provider" (Press release). Stoneham Fire Department. 17 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
7. Pierce, Benjamin (24 April 2025). "Melrose Sounds Alarm on New Ambulance Service". Melrose Patch. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
8. "Teamsters Local 25 Armstrong Ambulance Workers Ratify First Contract" (Press release). Teamsters Joint Council 10 New England. 13 February 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
9. "Officials: Mass. paramedics falsified training records". EMS1. 7 November 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
10. "Former Mass. EMT sentenced to jail for falsifying training records". EMS1. 24 April 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
11. Oliveira Jr., Pedro (29 April 2011). "Four Men Indicted in Connection with Fraudulent EMT Recertification Scheme". Woburn Patch. Retrieved 7 June 2025.