Member Spotlight

Chamber Spotlight: Prompt Ambulance Celebrates 75 Years

Gary and Shar Miller, owners of Prompt Ambulance Service recently rolled out the red carpet for customers, associates, suppliers, and friends at both their Highland headquarters and their Merrillville base to celebrate the Miller family’s 75 years in the ambulance business. An offshoot of the Fagen-Miller family’s Dyer-based Funeral Service business established in 1896, the earliest documentation of the ambulance service is in a photograph of Nicholas Fagen, Gary Miller’s grandfather, standing in front of a 1932 Nash Ambulance. The brand new vehicle, a combination hearse and ambulance, was used for ambulance runs in Dyer and surrounding areas. When used as an ambulance the vehicle was equipped with a stretcher, First Aid bag, warning light and siren.

Prompt Ambulance Service itself was incorporated in 1998, starting with just ten employees. Today, with a complement of nearly 200 full time employees responding to some 150 medical related calls a day, Shar and Gary have one of the more successful businesses in Northwest Indiana. Even so, each member of the workforce is treated as family, Shar Miller said. “We believe in our employees and try to be helpful to them as they grow in this business and in their personal lives.” Their positive attitudes toward day-to-day work related activities have led to a successful business.

Prompt Ambulance provides services to wheelchair bound patients and to patients in need of transfer from one medical facility to another. “Many of our calls ask for service to and from Chicago hospitals,” said Shar, “and we have even taken patients to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and other major medical facilities in the Midwest.” When there is an accident, the ambulance service and its team of emergency medical providers is called to assist. “All our ambulances have certified EMS personnel who can stabilize the medical emergency until the patient gets to the emergency room,” Miller added.

Shar Miller is a Michigan native who graduated from Michigan State University with a B.A in business. After graduation she worked for American Express Financial Services, and at one time she sold real estate. “I like to work with people who have hopes and dreams for their business and families,” Miller said. “It makes life so much easier and adds a nice complement to the work day.”

With competent managers and employees, Miller is able to spend a lot of time in community-related activities. A favorite is working with the volunteers of Meals on Wheels, where she spends two to three hours a week helping to prepare food for distribution to the home bound. She is also active with and supports projects of area chambers of commerce, including the Gary Chamber of Commerce. “Both Gary and I strongly believe in contributing to the communities that support our business,” she said. “We do a lot of business in Gary and it makes sense for us to be involved in its growth and development. We enjoy being members of the Gary Chamber.”
Almost four years ago, the Millers acquired Southlake Limousine Service, which is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prompt Ambulance Service. “We started out with just two part time drivers and one limousine. We now have ten drivers and seven limousines.” Miller said. The reputation of the service is spreading. “We have had drivers pick up clients from central Indiana and Illinois and we provide services to many of the courtroom shows that tape their programs in Chicago.” 24-hour dispatchers serve both ambulance service and limousine service customers. Prompt Ambulance operates out of Highland and Merrillville, but is soon to open a dispatch center in Valparaiso. Southlake Limousine Services operates out of Highland and Merrillville.

Miller said that having a congenial husband and wife team in business is for them “a winning combination.” Gary handles a lot of the equipment purchases and sales, while Shar is more the administrator. “I guess I have never really had gender issues in my career, but am sympathetic to those who do,” she said. “I would just advise that women should not relent on being who they are in the workforce and strive to be the leaders that they are.” She muses that this probably wasn’t the way when horse drawn carriages of the 1800’s carried patients and corpses, “…but I think we have come a long way since then. More men have respect for leadership among women, and that’s a good improvement for society.” For information, call (219) 884-4444.