Sunstar Paramedics

What Sunstar Paramedics does

Sunstar Paramedics is a privately held emergency medical services company headquartered in Largo, Florida, that serves as the exclusive 911 ambulance provider for Pinellas County under a long-standing government contract held since 1998. The company operates a fleet of 71 ambulances and 11 support vehicles, processes more than 230,000 calls for service annually, and transports approximately 175,000-200,000 patients per year across more than 3 million miles. Its core service lines are 911 emergency response, interfacility non-emergency transport (delivered via the FirstStar ambulance sub-brand using Ford E-350 chassis and Stryker stretchers), CAMTS-accredited ground critical care transport, and paid event medical standby services, complemented by community programs in CPR training and child passenger safety.

The underlying technology stack centers on the IAED Priority Dispatch System (a protocol-based emergency dispatch standard recognized in 46 countries), GPS-dispatched ambulance positioning, 12-lead ECG transmission to receiving hospitals, electronic patient care reporting, and a real-time Hospital and Ambulance Status System that exposes ambulance locations and hospital status to EMS coordinators. The company is the 34th Medical Accredited Center of Excellence worldwide from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch, has been re-certified nine times, and holds CAMTS, AHA Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold, Florida PEDReady Gold, and ASE fleet certifications.

The business model is anchored by a sole-source county franchise, with revenue earned through fee-for-service transport billing, government contract compensation, interfacility transport charges to healthcare facilities, hourly event standby fees (minimum three-hour commitment), and a FirstCare membership program for residents. Customer concentration is structurally high given the single-county 911 exclusivity, with secondary hospital partnerships (notably HCA Florida Largo Hospital and HCA Northside Hospital) anchoring interfacility and cardiac care coordination. Operations are supported by approximately 500-1,000 employees across a main Largo service center, a new Clearwater hub, and a countywide dispatch partnership with Pinellas County Communications.

Name

Sunstar Paramedics

Legal name

Sunstar Paramedics

Website

https://sunstarems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Sunstar Paramedics is the exclusive 911 ambulance provider for Pinellas County, Florida, operating a fleet of 71 ambulances that handles over 230,000 emergency calls and transports roughly 175,000 patients annually under a government franchise held since 1998.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Medical Services

NAICS

Ambulance Services (62191)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Dispatch, Communications & Medical Control Centers (PSAP/ECC) (HLAFANAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Dispatch Center Services (PSAP/911 Support, Private Dispatch) (BPAKAFAJ), Search & Rescue (Urban/Water/Wilderness) Coordination (HLAJAGAJ)

Keywords

• Emergency medical services
• Ambulance transport
• 911 response services
• Interfacility medical transport
• Emergency medical dispatch

Headquarters

HQ city

Largo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. 911 Emergency Ambulance Transport: Emergency medical services providing 911 response and ambulance transport for Pinellas County residents experiencing medical emergencies
2. Interfacility Non-Emergency Medical Transport: Non-emergency medical transport services between healthcare facilities using the FirstStar Ambulance fleet
3. Special Event Standby Services: Medical standby services for community events including races, triathlons, concerts, and sporting events with pre-payment required

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sunstar Paramedics is the sole 911 ambulance provider for Pinellas County, Florida under a government contract, delivering 24/7 emergency medical response, ambulance transport, and emergency medical dispatching services. The company additionally provides interfacility non-emergency medical transport between healthcare facilities, CAMTS-accredited ground critical care transport, and on-site medical standby for community events. Operations are supported by a fleet of 71 ambulances and 11 support vehicles, processing over 230,000 calls and transporting approximately 175,000+ patients annually.

Product overview

Sunstar Paramedics provides comprehensive emergency and non-emergency medical transport services as the 911 ambulance provider for Pinellas County, Florida. The core offering centers on 24/7 emergency response staffed by EMTs and paramedics operating FirstStar ambulances, complemented by emergency medical dispatching services and CAMTS-accredited ground critical care transport. Supporting services include child passenger safety programs, CPR training, and event medical standby. A real-time hospital and ambulance status tracking system enables EMS coordination with receiving facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FirstStar: FirstStar ambulances refer to the company's fleet of 2025 Ford E-350 ambulances that replaced interfacility vans, featuring Stryker stretchers and expanded capacity for patient transport.

Products and services

• 911 Emergency Ambulance Services Round-the-clock emergency medical transport responding to 911 calls throughout Pinellas County, staffed by EMTs and paramedics and contracted exclusively with the county government.
• Interfacility Non-Emergency Medical Transport

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% emergency response time compliance (arriving within 10 minutes)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Florida Emergency Medical Services for Children State Partnership ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2026State partnership program recognizing EMS agencies for pediatric readiness. Sunstar achieved Florida PEDReady Gold tier recognizing excellence in prehospital pediatric emergency care.
• John Morroni Legacy FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2026Foundation honoring late Pinellas County Commissioner John Morroni who advocated for first responders. Sunstar participates in annual awards ceremony recognizing extraordinary work of public safety professionals.
• American Heart AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026Mission Lifeline EMS program recognizing EMS agencies for excellence in critical performance measures including rapid recognition of stroke and STEMI, timely ECG acquisition, and prompt hospital communication. Sunstar received Gold Recognition and Target Heart Attack Distinction.
• HCA Northside HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Hospital partnership for cardiac patient care coordination and reunification events. Sunstar paramedics and hospital cardiac catheterization teams work together to ensure rapid access to lifesaving treatment for acute cardiac emergencies.
• Palm Harbor Fire RescueminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Community fire rescue partnership for cardiac event response. Paramedic Casey Schmidt and EMT Dominic DiRienz collaborated with Palm Harbor firefighters for patient care and reunification.
• Florida Ambulance AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2026State ambulance association recognizing excellence through Stars of Life program. Sunstar employees recognized at Florida House of Representatives and annual awards banquet.
• HCA Florida Largo HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2026Hospital partner for cardiac arrest patient reunification. Collaborates with Sunstar on Chain of Survival coordination and continuum of care for strong recovery outcomes.
• Madeira Beach Fire DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2026Community partner for patient reunification ceremonies following cardiac arrest survival. Part of integrated emergency response network.
• Pinellas County CommunicationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2026County dispatch partner providing emergency medical dispatching and 9-1-1 response coordination throughout Pinellas County. Over 230,000 calls processed annually.
• American Ambulance AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 November 2024National ambulance association hosting Stars of Life recognition event. Sunstar employees Gesterling and Harrington received 2024 awards among 143 EMS professionals selected.
• International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED)coreTechnology or Integration · 29 August 2024Standard-setting organization for emergency dispatch services worldwide. Provides Priority Dispatch System protocol recognized as standard of care in 46 countries. Sunstar achieved 34th Medical ACE status worldwide with 9x re-certification.
• USF CAMLSminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2023University of South Florida Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation. Clinical Services and Critical Care Team practice advanced scenarios and skills at simulation facility.
• Pinellas Park High School First Responder ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 April 2023High school first responder education program. Sunstar participates in annual Disaster Day drill working with seniors enrolled in Incident Commander, Operations, Hazmat, Medical Branch, Treatment and Transport positions.
• Community Action Stops Abuse (CASA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2013St. Petersburg-based domestic violence nonprofit. Sunstar partnered to train paramedics as on-the-job advocates and developed CME video for recognizing domestic violence warning signs. Donated $500 to support survivors.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Medical Response (AMR): American Medical Response is the largest private ambulance operator in the U.S., providing 911, interfacility, and critical-care transport across hundreds of communities. It is the dominant national incumbent against whom Sunstar competes (or could compete) on county RFPs, with overlapping product scope including dispatch, ambulance transport, and event standby.
• Falck USA: Falck USA is the American arm of Denmark-based Falck, one of the largest international private ambulance and emergency services providers. It operates community 911 contracts, interfacility transport, and special-event medical services comparable to Sunstar's mix, and represents the kind of multi-country incumbent Sunstar could face on adjacent-county bids.

Direct peers

• Acadian Ambulance Service: Acadian Ambulance is a privately held, multi-state ambulance and air-medical provider delivering 911 response, interfacility transport, and ground critical-care across Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. It is closely comparable to Sunstar in operating model — private, multi-county, dispatch-driven EMS with a heavy emphasis on clinical and community programs.
• MedStar Mobile Healthcare: MedStar Mobile Healthcare is the exclusive 911 ambulance provider for Fort Worth and 14 surrounding Tarrant County cities in Texas via a governmental relationship. Its exclusive county-level franchise model, dispatch operations, and clinical-performance accreditations directly mirror Sunstar's Pinellas County 911 franchise.
• PatientCare EMS Solutions: PatientCare EMS Solutions is a private ambulance operator providing 911, interfacility, critical-care, and special-event medical services across multiple states. Its mix of contracted municipal 911 service and interfacility transport is the most direct functional analog to Sunstar's operation.
• Empress EMS: Empress EMS is a privately held New York-area 911 and interfacility ambulance provider operating under county and municipal contracts. The structural similarity — private EMS holding 911 franchise agreements plus interfacility transport — makes it a useful operating peer for evaluating Sunstar.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sunstar_ems
• Facebookfacebook.com/sunstar-paramedics-194193873673
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sunstar-paramedics

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sunstar Paramedics