Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services

What Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services does

Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services (MEMS) is a public non-profit emergency medical services provider and Arkansas's largest, operating continuously since its 1984 founding. Governed by the Little Rock Ambulance Authority, MEMS is the sole-source 911 EMS franchise across an 1,800-square-mile service territory covering Pulaski, Grant, and Lonoke Counties and more than 400,000 residents. The agency employs approximately 400 professionals and operates an ACE Accredited 911 communications center using the Medical Priority Dispatch System, a tiered ALS/BLS response fleet (first in Arkansas, adopted in 2017), and specialized teams including SORT, STAR, Bike Team, MCAT peer support, and Disaster Communications.

MEMS's technology stack centers on the Medical Priority Dispatch System for protocol-driven triage and Dispatch Life Support, and an ESO Electronic Health Record integrated with the Arkansas SHARE Health Information Exchange — a first-in-state EMS-to-HIE connection enabling real-time patient data sharing with hospitals, clinics, and behavioral health providers. CAAS Gold Standard accreditation has been continuously maintained since 2001.

The organization generates revenue through emergency and non-emergency medical transportation billing to insurance providers, a MEMS Alert subscription membership that covers co-payments and offers a 40% discount on non-covered services, paid event standby services for sporting events, concerts, festivals, and TV/movie productions, and a paid-to-learn EMS Academy (Rookie School) plus a paramedic pathway with UA-Pulaski Tech. Supplemental channels include community education (CPR, STOP THE BLEED, AED training), the MEMS Foundation, and the 'Coffee With Kresse' podcast.

Name

Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services

Legal name

Little Rock Ambulance Authority D.B.A. Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services (MEMS)

Website

https://metroems.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services (MEMS) is Arkansas's largest non-profit EMS provider, delivering 911 emergency response, non-emergency transport, and event standby across an 1,800-square-mile central Arkansas service area serving 400,000+ residents with approximately 400 professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Medical Services

NAICS

Ambulance Services (62191), Ambulatory Health Care Services (621)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

911/Public EMS Agencies (Municipal/County/Fire-Based) (HLAFANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dispatch, Communications & Medical Control Centers (PSAP/ECC) (HLAFANAK), Disaster Response, Rescue & Tactical EMS (DMAT/USAR/SWAT/HAZMAT Medical) (HLAFANAH), Medical Emergency Response & On-site First Aid/Paramedics (BPABANAG), Emergency Medical Services (EMS) & Ambulance Services (BPAIAGAC)

Keywords

• Emergency medical services
• Ambulance transport
• Emergency medical dispatch
• EMT paramedic training
• Event standby medical

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Emergency Medical Transportation Billing: MEMS bills for emergency ambulance transportation services. As a public non-profit entity, charges are submitted to insurance providers. Patients may be billed for co-payments or deductibles not covered by insurance. MEMS is committed to providing quick and accurate billing responses.
2. MEMS Alert Membership Program: Annual membership subscription providing: no billing for insurance-approved non-emergency transportation, coverage of co-payments and deductibles for approved non-emergencies, and a 40% discount on services other than emergencies or approved non-emergencies. Covers subscriber and immediate family members (spouse, child, parent) living in the home. Renewing members receive a $5 discount.
3. Special Event Standby Services: MEMS provides dedicated or non-dedicated ambulance coverage for special events including sporting events, concerts, festivals, marathons, and TV/movie productions. Services include ALS/BLS ambulance teams, medical bike teams, ATV teams, and solo medical providers. Non-dedicated coverage is provided at no cost; dedicated coverage is likely billed.
4. EMS Academy / Rookie School Training: MEMS Academy offers paid-to-learn EMT-B training (Rookie School). While tuition, books, and testing fees are covered by MEMS, the program generates value by creating a pipeline of certified EMTs who become employed by MEMS. The Academy also offers paramedic pathway training in partnership with UA-Pulaski Tech.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services delivers 911 emergency medical response, ALS and BLS ambulance transport, Mobile Integrated Health, Critical Care Transport, and emergency medical dispatch services across central Arkansas. The agency also operates the MEMS EMS Academy for EMT and paramedic training, sells MEMS Alert subscription memberships, and contracts event standby medical coverage for large public gatherings. Specialized response capabilities include tactical medics (STAR), Special Operations Response Team (SORT), bicycle response, disaster communications (HAM radio), and the Major Crisis Assistance Team (MCAT).

Product overview

Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services (MEMS) operates as Arkansas's largest non-profit EMS provider, delivering emergency medical services through a tiered ALS/BLS system to central Arkansas communities. The organization's core offering is emergency response and transport, supported by a 911 Communications Center using Medical Priority Dispatch System (ACE Accredited), and the MEMS Academy providing EMT training with industry-leading NREMT pass rates. Additional services include MEMS Alert membership (insurance billing assistance), Event Standby services, and Community Education programs including CPR and STOP THE BLEED training. Specialized capabilities are delivered through Special Teams including SORT (tactical/HazMat/Swift Water rescue), STAR Team (tactical medicine), Bike Teams, Disaster Communications, MCAT peer support, and Honor Guard. MEMS also offers non-emergency medical transportation for insured members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MEMS Alert: A membership program that covers medically necessary non-emergency transportation costs, eliminating billing for covered services and providing discounts on other services.
• MEMS EMS Academy
• Coffee With Kresse

Products and services

• 911 Emergency Medical Response and Transport Tiered ALS (Advanced Life Support, paramedic) and BLS (Basic Life Support, EMT) ambulance response and transport service for residents and visitors of Pulaski and Saline counties across more than 1,800 square miles and approximately 400,000 citizens. Includes Mobile Integrated Health services and joint Critical Care Transport capability with Arkansas Children's Hospital.
• 911 Communications and Emergency Medical Dispatch Round-the-clock emergency medical dispatch using Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS), Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD), Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD), and Dispatch Life Support (DLS) protocols. The center is the first of only 43 worldwide to hold the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) distinction, with an AES-encrypted radio system covering Pulaski and Saline counties.
• MEMS Alert Membership Subscription membership program for individual households that covers costs of MEMS emergency ambulance transport not paid by the member's insurance company, intended for residents of the central Arkansas service area who want financial protection from ambulance transport expenses.
• Event Standby and Special Event Medical Coverage Contracted emergency medical standby service for public events in central Arkansas, providing on-site ambulances, bike team coverage, and medical personnel to event organizers requiring licensed standby coverage.
• MEMS EMS Academy Training Programs EMT, paramedic, and continuing EMS education programs offered by the MEMS EMS Academy for individuals pursuing EMS certification or recertification in central Arkansas.
• Community Education and CPR Training Public education and bystander training programs (including CPR) offered free or low-cost to residents of central Arkansas to improve pre-arrival care and community preparedness.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% first-time NREMT pass rate for EMT students (vs. 73% national average and 73% Arkansas average) and 100% for paramedics in 2025
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sheridan Fire DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026Pilot program placing MEMS Unit 90, a BLS ambulance, at Sheridan Fire Department. Allows qualified EMT and EMR certified members affiliated with Sheridan Fire Department to apply to MEMS, complete onboarding, and staff Unit 90 from the fire station when available. Designed to support local first responder agencies, strengthen coordination between fire and EMS, and add another layer of emergency medical response in the Sheridan area. In its first two months, Unit 90 responded to 23 BLS calls and transported 7 patients.
• Arkansas SHARE Health Information ExchangecoreTechnology or Integration · 28 June 2024MEMS became the first EMS provider in Arkansas to integrate its ESO Electronic Health Record (EHR) system with the State Health Alliance for Records Exchange (SHARE) HIE. This integration enables real-time, secure sharing of patient data collected during emergency responses with hospitals, clinics, primary care providers, behavioral health providers, and other members of the patient care team.
• UA-Pulaski TechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEMS is the only EMS provider in Arkansas offering an in-house paramedic pathway through a partnership with UA-Pulaski Tech, delivering accredited, college-level education in Central Arkansas. Selected employees transition from the field into the classroom full-time while continuing to earn their EMT salary, allowing them to focus on building deeper clinical knowledge before returning to the field as paramedics.
• NorthStar EMS Honor GuardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEMS Honor Guard often works with NorthStar EMS' Honor Guard to create a joint guard for state events, including line of duty death funerals, memorial services, parades, wreath laying ceremonies, graduation ceremonies, award banquets, and state & local government events.
• Little Rock Ambulance Authority (LRAA)coreOthersMEMS is a public, non-profit entity governed by the Little Rock Ambulance Authority (LRAA), which serves as the legal governing body overseeing MEMS operations, strategy, and accountability.
• International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED)coreOthersMEMS Communications holds Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) status awarded by IAED, the governing body for emergency dispatch standards. This accreditation requires rigorous application and ongoing compliance with IAED standards.
• Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS)coreOthersMEMS has been CAAS accredited since 2001, signifying a 'Gold Standard' in emergency medical service providers. CAAS accreditation involves meeting rigorous operational and clinical standards for EMS organizations.
• American Heart Association (AHA)minorOthersMEMS offers American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR AED and First Aid CPR AED certification courses through its community education programs and EMS Academy.
• Arkansas Department of HealthcoreOthersADH Section of EMS recognizes MEMS for excellence in stroke care, including stroke band documentation. MEMS also participates in the Arkansas Stroke Registry and received recognition for performance during July 2024 – June 2025.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Austin-Travis County EMS: Municipal 911 EMS system serving Austin and Travis County, TX. Comparable to MEMS as a publicly governed, large-metro 911 franchise with special operations teams and community education programs.
• MedStar Mobile Healthcare: Public-utility 911 EMS provider serving Fort Worth and 14 other Tarrant County cities in Texas with ~500k+ residents. Directly comparable to MEMS as a similarly sized, mission-driven, publicly governed EMS authority using tiered response and integrated dispatch.
• King County Emergency Medical Services: Public-utility EMS division serving King County, WA (Seattle metro) through a regional model. Comparable to MEMS in scale, public governance, and integrated ALS/BLS tiered response with strong clinical outcomes focus.
• Richmond Ambulance Authority: Independent public authority providing 911 EMS to the City of Richmond, VA. Like MEMS, it operates as a public authority with an exclusive service territory, ~400 personnel range, and tiered response system.
• Mecklenburg EMS Agency (Medic): Public-utility 911 EMS agency serving Mecklenburg County (Charlotte), NC. Closest structural analog to MEMS: government-governed, sole-source 911 franchise, community education programs, and ~400k-500k population service area.

Emerging players

• Priority Ambulance: Private equity-backed EMS consolidator operating 911 and interfacility services across the Southeast and Midwest. Comparable to MEMS in service mix, but represents the private capital-backed growth model that MEMS, as a non-profit, cannot match in M&A pace.

Broad incumbents

• Falck USA: US arm of Denmark-based Falck, one of the largest international EMS providers. Operates 911 and interfacility services in multiple US states, comparable in service mix to MEMS but as a global incumbent with private equity backing.
• American Medical Response (AMR): Largest private EMS provider in the United States, a subsidiary of Global Medical Response. Operates 911, interfacility, and event standby services nationwide — a broad incumbent in the same product category as MEMS, but at vastly greater scale and with private capital backing.
• Acadian Ambulance: One of the largest private EMS providers in the US, operating across Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Comparable to MEMS in offering 911 response, interfacility transport, and special operations, but as a private multi-state consolidator with broader geographic reach.

Regional players

• Pro EMS: Private EMS provider serving Cambridge, MA and surrounding communities. Comparable to MEMS as a regional ALS/BLS provider with quality accreditation focus, but operating as a private contractor rather than public utility and in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@metroemsorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services