BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A man who worked for Hall Ambulance for 50 years, as long as the company has existed, is hanging up the boots and retiring.
Ed Smith first joined Hall Ambulance in May of 1972 after listening to Harvey Hall give a presentation during an advanced first aid class at Bakersfield College.
Smith became an EMT in 1973 and distinguished himself two years later by becoming Kern County’s third ever paramedic in 1975. He was one of the few remaining employees who had the opportunity to work alongside Hall and drive one of the vintage Cadillac ambulances.
During his time with Hall Ambulance, Smith also served as a Paramedic Field Supervisor for the company’s West Kern Operations Area. Over the past 20 years, he’s been responsible for coordinating, troubleshooting, and repairing Hall’s radio systems, road safety equipment, digital cameras, and other electronic devices.
According to a press release from Hall Ambulance, Smith’s coworkers will remember him as “a gentleman in the truest sense of the word” who “epitomizes our founder’s ideals for care, compassion, and community.”
