Curtis Universal Ambulance, Inc.

What Curtis Universal Ambulance, Inc. does

Curtis Universal Ambulance, Inc. is a privately held emergency medical services provider founded in 1858 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and recognized as the oldest private ambulance service in the United States. The company has been owned and operated by the Baker family since 1950, currently in its second generation of family management. Curtis provides a full spectrum of ground ambulance services including Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Life Support (ALS), Critical Care Paramedic transport (including neonatal transport), Bariatric Transport, and Long Distance Ground Transport across multiple Wisconsin markets. The company also provides Special Event EMS coverage for sports teams (Milwaukee Admirals, Wave, Milkmen), concert venues (The Rave), festivals, and the Milwaukee County Zoo (since 1989).

The business operates through two organizational units: direct Curtis Ambulance operations in Milwaukee and Madison, and the Medix Division acquired in 2005 serving Racine, Kenosha, Burlington, Lake Geneva, Delavan, and surrounding Walworth County areas. Core operational technology includes System Status Management dispatch optimization (the first private deployment in Wisconsin) and the 1993 Advanced Concept Units serving as technology demonstrators. The company pioneered multiple Wisconsin industry firsts, including the first ALS ambulance, first helicopter ambulance in the Midwest, and first neonatal MICU.

Curtis generates revenue primarily through contract fees for municipal 911 emergency response (City of Milwaukee, City of Delavan, Town of Dover), transaction-based healthcare facility transport (VA Hospital, Central Wisconsin Center, hospitals and dialysis centers), per-event fees for special event standby coverage, and transaction-based private-pay non-emergency medical transport. Distribution runs through direct sales via municipal procurement processes, healthcare facility relationships, event venue contracts, and a centralized dispatch center. The company complements its operations with a Cadet Program that covers all EMT tuition costs in exchange for guaranteed post-certification employment, building an internal talent pipeline.

Name

Curtis Universal Ambulance, Inc.

Legal name

Curtis Universal Ambulance, Inc.

Website

https://curtisambulance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1858

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Curtis Universal Ambulance, Inc. is the oldest private ambulance service in the United States (founded 1858), providing BLS, ALS, Critical Care, long-distance, and event EMS coverage across Wisconsin from its Milwaukee, Madison, and Medix Division bases, serving municipal governments, healthcare facilities, event venues, and individual patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Ambulance Transport

NAICS

Ambulance Services (62191), Ambulance Services (621910)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Private EMS Providers (Contract/Interfacility) (HLAFANAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interfacility Transport (IFT) & Patient Transfer Services (HLAFANAF), Critical Care Transport (CCT) & Specialty Transport Teams (HLAFANAE), Emergency Medical Services (EMS) & Ambulance Services (BPAIAGAC)

Keywords

• Emergency medical services
• Ambulance transport
• Advanced life support
• Basic life support
• Special event coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Emergency 911 Response Services: Contracted emergency medical response services for municipal 911 systems including City of Milwaukee, providing round-the-clock ambulance response with average response times under 5 minutes.
2. Healthcare Facility Transport: Ambulance transport services for hospitals, nursing facilities, dialysis centers, and VA Hospital including long-distance inter-facility transfers.
3. Long Distance Ground Transport: Out-of-town patient transports including interstate transfers (e.g., from Iron Mountain, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois to Milwaukee), billed per transport.
4. Special Event Coverage: Standby EMS services at sports venues, concerts, festivals, and other large gatherings, typically contracted per event or season.
5. Private Transport Services: Non-emergency medical transportation for individual patients including dialysis, hospice, and scheduled medical appointments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Curtis Universal Ambulance provides contracted Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and ambulance transport across Wisconsin, including Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Life Support (ALS), 24/7 Critical Care Paramedic transport, long-distance ground transport, bariatric transport, neonatal transport, and special event EMS coverage. The company serves municipal 911 systems, healthcare facilities, event venues, and individual patients through direct operations in Milwaukee and Madison and through the acquired Medix Division in Racine, Kenosha, and Walworth County.

Product overview

Curtis Universal Ambulance, Inc. is a private ambulance service provider offering a portfolio of EMS transport and event coverage services. The core service offerings include Basic Life Support (BLS) Transport Services for routine medical transports, Advanced Life Support (ALS) Transport Services for paramedic-level care, Long Distance Ground Transport for inter-facility transfers, Special Event Coverage for sports venues and gatherings, and Bariatric Transport Services for specialized patient needs. The company also operates the Medix Division (an acquired brand) providing services across southeastern Wisconsin counties. A Cadet Program offers EMT training with guaranteed employment upon completion. All services operate from bases in Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Response times consistently averaging less than 5 minutes in City of Milwaukee
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Medix AmbulancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005In fall 2005, Curtis Ambulance acquired Medix Ambulance, which operates as a division under the 'Medix' name in Burlington, Lake Geneva, Delavan, Racine, Kenosha and surrounding areas. This acquisition expanded Curtis's geographic footprint and service capabilities, adding primary 911 services for Walworth County and wheelchair van services to the portfolio. The division operates with some of the most advanced protocols in Wisconsin.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bell Ambulance: Another Milwaukee-based private ambulance service competing for similar contracts and customer base in the Wisconsin market. Directly competes in the same geography on 911 services, interfacility transport, and special event coverage.
• American Medical Response (AMR): The largest private ambulance provider in the US and the explicit national competitor Curtis Ambulance bids against in Wisconsin municipal RFPs. Directly comparable business model with 911 response, inter-facility transport, and event coverage.
• Gold Cross Ambulance: Wisconsin-based private ambulance service operating in the Fox Valley region, providing similar 911 response, ALS/BLS transport, and special event coverage. Direct regional competitor with comparable service portfolio.

Emerging players

• Medstar EMS (Medstar Ambulance): Michigan-based private ambulance service operating in the broader Midwest region. Comparable private EMS model providing 911 response and interfacility transport to similar customer segments in adjacent geography.
• EMStar (Empress EMS): Private ambulance service operating in the Midwest/New York region with similar BLS, ALS, critical care transport, and event coverage offerings. Comparable mid-sized regional private EMS provider.
• MTM Inc. (Medical Transportation Management): Large NEMT broker and operator managing non-emergency medical transportation for Medicaid and Medicare populations. Partial overlap with Curtis's non-emergency private transport and dialysis/hospice transport services.

Regional players

• Life Line Ambulance: Private ambulance service operating primarily in the upper Midwest with comparable BLS, ALS, and special event services. Similar regional scale and private ownership profile to Curtis.

Broad incumbents

• Falck USA: International EMS provider (Danish parent) with US ambulance operations. Competes in the same private EMS market with similar 911, interfacility transport, and event coverage capabilities as Curtis.
• Rural Metro / Global Medical Response: Large diversified private ambulance provider now part of Global Medical Response, competing for municipal 911 contracts across multiple states including Wisconsin. Broader geographic footprint than Curtis but similar core service offering.
• Acadian Ambulance: Large private ambulance and air medical service headquartered in Louisiana with multi-state operations. Comparable private EMS business model serving municipal contracts, healthcare facilities, and event coverage similar to Curtis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/curtis-universal-ambulance-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Curtis Universal Ambulance, Inc.