Larry Waldon

For Larry Waldon, the emergency medical services (EMS) field was a place where an active community member, like himself, could find purpose. Inspired by his mother and sister, both nurses, he chose a different path wanting to work in the field rather than a hospital. He wanted to be at the scene. In 1996, Larry joined EMS as an emergency medical technician (EMT) for Rural/Metro Corporation.

Larry was eager to learn, applying every detail of every patient interaction to his continued education and professional growth. Gaining a lot of skills early on, especially how to help people under the worst possible circumstances, he began to rise through the ranks.

With his coursework and certifications, Larry progressed to an advanced emergency medical technician (AEMT) role. Then, he began teaching what he learned to the next generation of EMS professionals, becoming an emergency vehicle operation course (EVOC) instructor; next, a safe stretcher-handling instructor; and finally, a field-training officer (FTO)—the role in which he stayed.

His hunger for knowledge was never fully satiated until one day, in 2015, American Medical Response (AMR) integrated Rural/Metro Corporation into its business portfolio. The acquisition enabled Larry to pursue providing care in unique settings—through disaster response, during special events and much more.

Larry has been an onsite first responder for NASCAR and IndyCar races, concerts, rodeos and baseball and football games. He also plans to be among the EMS staff at the FIFA 2026 World Cup tournament. Serving under the AMR operational umbrella became the opportunity of a lifetime and helped him discover his passion.

“[AMR] is a great company to work for,” Larry beams with pride. “Whether you’re just starting off or you’re an experienced caregiver, they have everything from basic interfacility transfers to 911 dispatch; transport from helicopters to fixed-wing aircraft; CCT medics and even nursing! They really do provide care to the world at a moment’s notice, so if you can’t find what you need at GMR, you wouldn’t find it anywhere else.”

Thirty years have passed since 1996, and Larry’s story speaks volumes about how trusting your intuition and striving for excellence opens doors. We are grateful for his lifelong contributions to the EMS industry and are excited that we may bring the same opportunities to you.