FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Emergency Ambulance Service names Bruce Plannette as Systems Analyst

BREA, California - March 18, 2002 - Emergency Ambulance Service (Emergency) has chosen Bruce Plannette as its new systems analyst.  Mr. Plannette will be accountable for all areas of data analysis and research including internal and external reporting, quality improvement, and business forecasting.

Mr. Plannette brings over 23 years of industry knowledge to Emergency, including noteworthy experience with American Medical Response (AMR).

Plannette began his career in the ambulance business in 1979 as an emergency medical technician for Bowers Ambulance Service in Long Beach.

In 1986, Plannette assumed a leadership role, as operations manager for the company, a position in which he designed and implemented risk management programs and was responsible for compliance, and the maintenance and improvement of quality services.

In 1994, he left Bowers to pursue a career as a district manager for business development with MedTrans, Inc.  There he had responsibilities with regard to building new business and maintaining the continuity of service during mergers that took the company from $33 million to $1.8 billion in gross revenues.  In 1995, Plannette’s unique talents for business analysis landed him a position with the company as an operations analyst.

In 1997, AMR merged with MedTrans.  Plannette was retained by the company and was subsequently appointed as senior operations analyst, where he eventually headed up data analysis and operations research for the company's Southern California service area.

"Bruce has a broad knowledge of this industry, is an analytical thinker, and has a very impressive educational background," said Emergency Ambulance Service general manager Jim Karras.  "We look forward to the contributions he will be bringing to our company and his newly created position."

In his years within the business, Plannette has earned a reputation as a resourceful analyst.  He has been in charge of the creation and continuing development of a multi million-dollar communications center and was personally responsible for developing a resource scheduling application, which monitored the schedules, attendance, credentialing, and deployment of over 1,000 associates.

Actively involved with the Friends of the Sea Lion, Marine Mammal Rescue Center in Laguna Beach, he has been instrumental in developing software applications for tracking animals rescued by the center.  Plannette's other endeavors included serving the Southern California Blues Society.

“Emergency Ambulance Service is a highly regarded, employee friendly company," said Plannette, "and the company's rapid growth is in no doubt due to a clearly planned strategy.  I'm looking forward to using my experience to help the company keep tight controls and build its business even further."

Plannette holds a bachelor's degree in political science and master's degree in healthcare administration from the California State University at Long Beach.  He is currently preparing to enter a PhD program in public health.

Family-owned and operated since 1977, Emergency Ambulance Service, Inc. has 12 ambulance deployment centers located throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties.  EAS provides Emergency Basic Life Support and Nurse-Staffed Critical Care Transportation in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, and Advanced Life Support Paramedic ambulance service throughout Los Angeles County.  The company also provides 911 primary emergency ambulance services to six of the cities it operates in, as well as providing back up 911 service to several surrounding communities.

For further information contact:

Jim Karras, General Manager
Emergency Ambulance Service, Inc.
3200 East Birch Street, Suite A
Brea, CA 92821-6258
Tel:  (714) 990-1742
Fax: (714) 792-3650
E-mail: JimKarras@emergencyambulance.com
URL:  http://www.emergencyambulance.com