06/01/2026
In 1979. Rudy Manfredi, an EMT for Sacramento’s Superior Ambulance, had the vision to own an ambulance service. Rudy was made aware of an ambulance service in Vallejo, CA that was for sale. Rudy, an Italian immigrant, broached the idea with his parents Harry and Giannina Manfredi, both Italian immigrants who came to the United States in search of the American Dream. They all agreed this was both a great opportunity and risk, but as a family, they agreed to pursue it. Rudy, Harry, and Giannina Manfredi purchased Berton-Aid Ambulance Service, from Jimmy Berton of Vallejo. The company was changed to Medic Ambulance Service on June 1, 1979. Medic started with 2 ambulances, 4 ambulance staff, and a 7 employee answering service. Rudy’s vision laid the foundation for what would become a legacy of caring, dedication, and innovation. Marisa Luchini, Rudy’s Sister, started with Medic in 1980, and played an integral role in helping run the business, until her retirement in 2009. Rudy’s sister Helen Pierson also joined in 1988. Over the years additional family members like Kristi Kendall, past VP of Finance, have made major contributions.
Medic is still Family Owned and Operated and making major impacts in our profession and helping lead Medic into our new future. Helen Pierson is now CEO. Helen's children Jimmy Pierson, serves as our President and COO, Cindy McBride, MSN, NP, RN, serves as our VP of Quality, and Sandy Whaley is our VP Communications/Finance. We are majority women-owned, immigrant founded and have over 650 employees. Our over 200 vehicle fleet drives over 5 million miles per year and responds to over 150,000 calls for service per year. Medic provides services in Solano, Sacramento, Yolo, Sutter, El Dorado, Yuba, Placer, Napa and Sonoma County.
As we celebrate 47 years of service, we do so with tremendous pride in all that we have accomplished together. This past year has been one of remarkable growth, innovation, and recognition. We expanded our Vallejo Operations Center through the purchase and development of adjacent property, adding more than 10,000 square feet of operational space, a new Employee Wellness Center, automated vehicle washing capabilities, secured employee parking, and enhanced logistics facilities to better support our teams and the communities we serve. We achieved our sixth consecutive CAAS reaccreditation with a perfect score, further solidifying Medic's position as the longest-tenured CAAS-accredited ambulance provider in Northern California. We launched the Medic Keep the Beat Foundation Fall Prevention Program, a community initiative that has already earned both state and international recognition for its impact on improving the health and safety of seniors in our communities. We were honored by the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce as Big Business of the Year, a distinction that reflects the commitment and excellence demonstrated by our entire organization. More than 22 Medic team members from across our divisions were recognized by the California Ambulance Association this year—the largest number of honorees in our history.
Yet while awards, accreditations, expansions, and milestones are important, they are not what define Medic. Medic has never been about buildings, vehicles, equipment, or records. Medic is, and always will be, about people.
It is about the EMS profressionals who comforts a frightened patient, who answers the call in the middle of the night, the dispatcher who remains calm during someone's worst moment, the support staff who keep our operations running, and the leaders who invest in our future. It is about the generations of employees—past, present, and future—whose dedication, compassion, professionalism, and sacrifice have built this organization into what it is today.
To the patients, families, healthcare partners, first responders, community leaders, and neighbors who have trusted us for nearly five decades, we say THANK YOU. Your confidence in us has shaped who we are and continues to inspire who we strive to become. As we look toward the future, we do so with gratitude for those who came before us, pride in those who serve today, and excitement for those who will carry our mission forward in the years ahead.
Thank you for making Medic more than a company. Thank you for making it a family, a community partner, and a trusted source of care for countless people throughout Northern California.
Here's to 47 years of service, innovation, and compassion and to the many lives we will continue to touch together. Because caring isn't just part of what we do. Caring is our CORE, and it will continue to guide our future for generations to come.
With Love,
Helen, Jimmy, Cindy, Sandy and the Entire Medic Family
