Acadian Ambulance Marks 55 Years of Service and Caring

On September 1, 2026, Acadian Ambulance, the nation's largest employee-owned ambulance service, marks its 55th anniversary. Since its founding in 1971, the company has grown from a small operation with two ambulances and eight medics to a multi-faceted company with eight diverse divisions specializing in medical transportation, prehospital care, healthcare at home, industrial health, safety and environmental services, training, consulting, dynamic security equipment and monitoring for homes and businesses, charter flight services, and world-class emergency medical services education.

Acadian was established in 1971 by Richard Zuschlag, Richard Sturlese, and Roland Dugas in response to a critical need for professional ambulance services after increased federal regulations caused many of the nation’s funeral homes to discontinue using hearses for patient transport. Acadian’s pioneering spirit and dedication to patient care have since become a model for the EMS industry.

"As we celebrate 55 years, we are reminded that the Acadian story is one of resilience, innovation, and service. From our founding in 1971 to today, our mission remains clear: to provide the highest level of care possible. We honor where we started, but we are equally focused on the future, continuing to build on our legacy of protecting and serving the communities that place their trust in us every day," said Acadian Companies CEO H. Eddy Dupuis. "Our success is rooted in the dedication of every single team member across all of our divisions."

55 Years of Service and Caring

Notable accomplishments from Acadian Ambulance and its sister companies include:

• Acadian Air Med is strengthening its fleet with the addition of two new EC135 P2+ helicopters, which are expected to be integrated before the end of the year. In addition, Air Med now carries plasma on every aircraft across Louisiana.

• Acadian Ambulance provides emergency and non-emergency transportation services in more than 80 parishes and counties across a four-state region. It has served more than 15 million patients over 55 years.

• Acadian Health provides mobile integrated health services in six states across the nation and records an average 9.61 out of 10 in patient satisfaction scores.

• Acadian Total Security took home the top honor of Security Sales & Integration magazine’s Installer of the Year at the 2026 SAMMY Awards, the fourth time it has received the honor.

• National EMS Academy is the second largest EMS training academy in the nation, behind only UCLA.

• Safety Management Systems continues to evolve as one of the nation’s premier providers of incident and disaster response services, ranging from staffing and equipment to temporary facilities and logistics.

About Acadian Ambulance

Acadian Ambulance is the nation’s largest 100% employee-owned ambulance service providing prehospital care and medical transportation to areas in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. In recognition of Acadian’s clinical excellence, it is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services and a member of the American Ambulance Association. Its sister division, Acadian Air Med, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems.

Acadian Ambulance is a division of Acadian Companies, which has a global reach and a mission of improving the lives of its patients, customers and employees through its innovative spirit and diverse divisions, also including Acadian Air Med, Executive Aircraft Charter Service, Acadian Total Security, National EMS Academy, Safety Management Systems and Acadian Health.

Acadian’s National EMS Academy offers EMT training at its campuses across Louisiana, Texas, and Tennessee. For more information on upcoming classes, visit www.BecomeAMedic.com.