About

Ballard Ambulance was established on August 1, 1967 by Clyde and Ruth Ballard. At that time, most of the ambulance care in Eastern Washington was provided by funeral homes. Clyde changed all of that. Clyde’s first ambulance was a station wagon that had a stretcher, some wooden splints, a few triangular bandages, red lights and a siren.  For several years, the service was based out of the Ballard's home where many of the ambulance crew lived.

Ballard Ambulance was known for being on the leading edge of medical advances.  In September of 1968, Clyde and some of the original crew members traveled to Portland, Oregon to attend a new training course put on by the College of Orthopedic Surgeons.  This was the first time the course, which would later be known as EMT training, was offered on the West Coast. Around 1970, Clyde obtained one of the two original defibrillators in the state and soon after started doing advanced skills such as intubations, IV’s and giving medications under the direction of local physicians. When the paramedic certification was established later on that decade Clyde and a couple of employees were “grandfathered in”. Clyde was known throughout Washington and other western states for his work in the ambulance industry.  At one point, the Battelle Corporation used Ballard Ambulance as a model for rural ambulance operations in a research report. Ballard Ambulance also had the first licensed Air Ambulance service in Washington State. Clyde was also a member of a committee made up mostly of physicians that developed and implemented the original RCWs and WACs for EMS in the state of Washington.

Along with several other business ventures, Clyde and Ruth were also active in politics. Clyde served in the Washington State Legislature and ultimately presided over the House of Representatives as Speaker of the House. In 1986, Clyde and Ruth sold the business to their three sons, two of which still own and operate the business today.

For over 58 years, Ballard Ambulance has continued the tradition of being a leader in the ambulance industry and a leader in the community.  Ballard Ambulance is an active member of the Washington State Ambulance Association and the American Ambulance Association along with several other worthwhile organizations.  Their commitment to the community is demonstrated by their ongoing support of activities such as the Apple Blossom Run, community First Aid and CPR classes, free blood pressure monitoring, and participation in numerous other community activities.

Today, Ballard Ambulance is comprised of approximately 40 Paramedics and EMTs delivering Primary Emergency Care to the Greater Wenatchee Valley and its surrounding communities. The crews are staffed in Wenatchee and East Wenatchee stations 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, answering over 10,000 calls for service annually. We remain dedicated to our founders’ beliefs of providing state of the art emergency care through service, training and equipment.  Ballard Ambulance is built on a Tradition of Trust - a commitment that has been renewed annually since 1967.