American Medical Response

American Medical Response

American Medical Response was created in 1992 as a consolidation of several regional ambulance providers, responding to changes in healthcare reimbursement and the growth of managed care plans. The firm merged with Med Trans in 1997 to become the largest ambulance service provider in the U.S. AMR's wealth originates from the consolidation of these private operations, later owned by Laidlaw International, Onex Partners, and Envision Healthcare, and eventually sold to KKR in early 2018. AMR operates a fleet of more than 7,000 ground ambulances and support vehicles, providing 911 emergency services, basic life support, advanced life support, critical care, bariatric, and wheelchair van transports. The firm serves thousands of communities across the United States, partnering with hospital systems, counties, and municipalities. It also offers event medical services and federal disaster response, along with a historical international air ambulance division formed through an acquisition in 2006. AMR added fire safety services via the 2015 acquisition of Rural Metro Fire. AMR employs nearly 34,000 people as part of the Global Medical Response family of companies. Global Medical Response was formed in 2005 as an international EMS division, and in March 2018, AMR became part of GMR after KKR acquired it from Envision Healthcare. AMR's team operates 24/7, with paramedics like California-based Andrew Davalos highlighted in a 2024 Star of Life story for a multi-vehicle collision response. AMR's structural differentiator is its role as the ground ambulance foundation of Global Medical Response, a conglomerate that also provides air medical services. The firm's corporate ownership by KKR, and its parent company's status as the largest medical transportation company globally, position AMR as a consolidated, large-scale operator rather than a family office or asset manager.