August 28, 2015
The Seals Ambulance local management team gathers at a cookout to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary. From left right are (first row) Director of Operations Jim White, Director of Marketing James Simmons, Operations Manager Ryan Bertram, Operations Manager Jacob Theurer, Director of Training Michael Roethler (back row) Operations Manager Michael O’Brien, President Randal Seals, Vice President Marie Seals and Director of Human Resources. John Hough.
Seals Ambulance reached the milestone in 2015 of providing excellent medical transport in Central Indiana communities for 50 years. The company recently held a celebration for its employees and partners to mark the occasion.
“Seals Ambulance was a pioneer in the emergency medical services field when we began in 1965,” Seals Ambulance CEO Randy Seals said. “Our company has grown with the industry and stayed consistently on the cutting-edge of trends in EMS vehicles, equipment and protocols. I am grateful to our excellent employees and leadership who have helped us serve our communities with the best medical care for 50 years.”
Seals Ambulance originally operated as a funeral home in Fortville, Indiana. The company was purchased by the Seals family in 1965, when the national conversation was turning toward the idea of paramedicine, a public safety and health initiative rooted in emergency medical services.
As the industry took shape, Seals Ambulance upgraded its emergency medical equipment and trained personnel to meet newly formed government requirements. Ronald Seals, the founder of Seals Ambulance, was one of the first EMTs certified by the state of Indiana.
In 1993, current CEO Randy Seals joined Seals Ambulance as operations manager, and the company began to expand its staff and footprint in Central Indiana. Before Randy Seals arrived, there were two full-time employees and one vehicle. Today, Seals Ambulance staffs more than 60 ambulances with approximately 225 full-time and 100 part-time EMTs and paramedics.
In 1992, the company served 800 patients each year; in 2014, the company transported 45,000 patients. Eleven permanent satellite stations allow Seals Ambulance to serve a wide area of Central Indiana.
“When my father founded this company, we were a small family-run operation, and today our company serves thousands of patients each year,” Seals said. “Our mission has remained constant throughout the years: Build trust with the patients we serve and work every day to ensure our talented, caring EMTs and paramedics have the tools and training to provide excellent care to our communities.”
In 2002, the company added a critical care transport vehicle to its fleet to provide a higher level of care for interfacility transports. Seals Ambulance is the preferred ambulance service provider for the Community Health Network, which includes six Community Hospitals and several community medical centers throughout Indianapolis and Anderson, St. Vincent Anderson Regional Hospital and the Indiana University Health Network, and Riverview Hospital in Noblesville. In 2004, Seals Ambulance was also on the forefront of the trend in adding bariatric transport vehicles and services.
Seals Ambulance provides coverage for hundreds of special events each year with contracts with the Klipsch Music Center, Indiana Grand Racing & Casino, Lucas Oil Raceway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
In 2014, Seals Ambulance joined the Priority Ambulance network, which allows Seals to continue to grow with the resources that come with a national ambulance company.
“Seals Ambulance is built on decades of excellence and innovation,” Priority Ambulance CEO Bryan Gibson said. “By joining our national network, Randy and his team can further expand his trusted service to additional communities in the area, and we are proud to support them in their efforts.”
About Seals Ambulance
Based in Indianapolis, Seals Ambulance provides emergency and nonemergency transport services to multiple hospital and facility contracts in Central Indiana, as well as emergency 911 service for various regions throughout Indiana. An extensive fleet allows Seals Ambulance to serve a wide area around-the-clock with prompt response time and quality service. Seals Ambulance is the contracted provider for several venues, including Klipsch Music Center and Indiana Grand Racing & Casino, and is the preferred provider for the Community Health Network, which includes six Community Hospitals and several community medical centers throughout Indianapolis and Anderson, St. Vincent Anderson Regional Hospital and the Indiana University Health Network. Seals Ambulance is a regional branch of Priority Ambulance, a national ambulance network.
About Priority Ambulance
Based in Knoxville, Tenn., Priority Ambulance provides the highest level of clinical excellence in emergency and nonemergency medical care to the communities it serves. Throughout its national service area, more than 1,000 highly trained paramedics and EMTs staff more than 170 state-of-the-art ambulances with the latest medical equipment and technology.
Priority Ambulance provides emergency and nonemergency medical transport options to communities in Tennessee, Alabama, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Georgia. Operating as Priority Ambulance, the company serves Knox, Loudon and Blount counties in East Tennessee. Priority Ambulance operates as Kunkel Ambulance in Utica, New York; as Trans Am Ambulance in Olean, New York; as Shoals Ambulance in Alabama; as Seals Ambulance in Indiana; and as Central EMS in Georgia.