Old National Client Profile: Bell Ambulance expands, assists neighboring states with hurricane relief during busy year

Since 1973, Bell Ambulance has become synonymous with the Milwaukee, Wisc., community. Founder Rick Zehetner took a unique approach to establishing his small, private ambulance company, meeting with city leaders to determine their additional emergency medical service (EMS) needs, and eventually becoming one of the inaugural certified participants of the new Milwaukee EMS System.

Bell Ambulance continues to grow, and now has 11 locations in Milwaukee, Waukesha, and Racine counties, and is the largest EMS provider in the state with approximately 700 employees. Their staff of emergency and critical care providers answer more than 120,000 calls for ambulance service each year.

Bell Ambulance and Hurricane, FEMA assistance

Brett Meyer started as an emergency medical technician (EMT) with Bell in 2008, and now serves as the deputy operations director, overseeing personnel management, Bell's Cadet Training Program, special projects, and coordinating deployments for disasters such as hurricanes, and other operations.

"When we receive calls for resources from as far away as Florida, you know the need is pretty dire," said Meyer, who also organizes emergency medical responses for FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency).

Bell Ambulance is a network provider under American Medical Response's contract to provide emergency medical services for FEMA. They recently called on Bell to provide ambulance service in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida after hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024.

Bell provided three advanced-level ambulances, along with paramedics and EMTs, for three weeks before then providing a second wave of services. Over the last several years Bell has supplemented 911 services, helped evacuate hospital and nursing facilities, and transported displaced local residents to receive medical care, among other emergency medical services.

Supporting the local community

In addition to the support Bell provides to the local community through their ambulance service, they also give back through annual charitable giving and events.

"There are many things that Bell chooses to do because it's part of our philosophy to do the right thing," Meyer says.

Each year Bell hosts the Greater Lombardo Open, a golf tournament fundraiser for Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, raising nearly $2 million since the tournament's inception.

"It's a fun, sell-out event every year that friends from around the country look forward to being a part of," said Jim Lombardo, Bell's Executive Vice President. "They have a great time with a smile on their faces while raising money for a good cause."

Growing Bell Ambulance staffing from within

Emergency medical service is no exception to the worker shortages in many industries over the past years. Bell established a Cadet Program in 2016 to provide training for people with little-to-no medical background to become EMTs. Their 220-hour program runs three times per year, with a dedicated training facility -- The John C. Swanson Memorial Training Center -- and a local partner, Lake Country Fire & Rescue, to provide training.

The program is designed like an apprenticeship, where students earn an hourly wage while in training, and earn the opportunity to work for Bell upon completion of the training. There are 50-75 graduates per year, and up to 25% of their staff has come from the training program. Additionally, Bell offers sponsorships and scholarships for current employees to advance their education.

A trusted financial partner

With extensive growth and providing quality service comes the need for a trusted financial partner, and Old National Bank has been proud to serve Bell Ambulance since 1991. Meyer explained some of his high equipment costs, such as the cot used in an ambulance coming in at $28,000, and a new ambulance running upwards of $250,000. Add that to the cost of payroll, training, operations, and more, and the need for quality and trusted financial products and services is a priority.

"I think one of the many reasons why Bell Ambulance and Old National work so well together is that our values align," says Lynn Sigfred, Old National business banking relationship manager, who works with Bell. "Striving to exceed client expectations, providing quality service and products, and supporting our communities are at the heart of what we both do."

Wayne Jurecki, vice president and chief operating officer of Bell Ambulance, says Old National understood the needs of their business and the industry's competitive landscape.

"For over three decades, Old National Bank has consistently provided the tailored banking and financing solutions our ambulance business has required," Jurecki says. "Their commitment to understanding our industry has been a significant factor in our growth."

To learn more about Bell Ambulance, click here.
To learn more about the competitive advantage of Old National Commercial Banking, click here.

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