In 1945, Kenneth Albert Riggs moved to Merced and operated an Exxon gas station located next door to a funeral home. At that time, mortuaries utilized a hearse as an ambulance. No other services were available and no training was required by the mortuary staff. Having received Advanced First Aid training in the Merchant Marines, Ken would drive the "ambulance" when 
the mortuary staff was busy. After three years of working both the gas station and ambulance, Ken bought the “Merced-Mariposa Ambulance Service to start his own business.
1948 Renamed to Riggs Ambulance Service. A 1948 Packard and a 1948 Cadillac were the "real" ambulance. Riggs provided service from Mariposa on the east to Hollister on the west as there were very few ambulance services available. Riggs became the first ambulance service in California to stock oxygen onboard. Ken Riggs joined the California Ambulance Association as a charter member.
1949 Ken required Advanced First Aid training for everyone working on the ambulances.
1950 As we no
w needed 24-hour telephone coverage, Ken Riggs employed his mother as a telephone operator to provide an answering service for the physicians and merchants in the Merced area.
1951 The name was changed to Riggs Ambulance Service. We became the first ambulance service in California to have onboard radio communications with local hospitals.
1952 Ambulances were placed in Los Banos and Gustine to better serve the community.
1955 Ken is appointed County Coroner, Public Administrator and Public Guardian, positions he held until 1982. Ken held the Coroner’s position longer than anyone in California history.
1968 Riggs Ambulance Service provides an Advanced Course in Emergency Care under the auspices of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Ken is appointed to the National Highway Safety Advisory Committee by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
1974 Riggs Ambulance Service requires Emergency Medical Technician certification of its personnel. This is prior to the mandated implementation date of 1976.
1976 Ken Riggs is appointed to the Committee of Emergency Medical Services by President Gerald Ford. This committee was responsible for the implementation of the medial network radio frequencies we currently use today!
1977 Riggs Ambulance Service requires Emergency Medical Technician II certification of its personnel. This certification allowed limited Advanced Life Support under the direction of Patrick Maloney, MD and Nancy Whittaker, RN.
1980 Ken Riggs hands the business off to his son Kraig who currently ser
ves as President and CEO.
1985 Kraig Riggs requires Mobile Intensive Care Paramedic certification for an all ALS service
1990’s Riggs ambulance continue to excel and become a leader in the EMS industry. Merced County grants an exclusive franchise to Riggs Ambulance.
2000’s Riggs Ambulance continues excellence in EMS! Immplementation of global positioning Systems with Automatic Vehicle Locators, Electronic Patient Care Reporting, State-of-the-Art Computer Aided Dispatch systems are all utilized in the daily operations of Riggs Ambulance.
Today we are simply known as "RAS". We cover over 2,000 square miles and respond to over 24,000 requests annually. We employ over 100 people and operate the county's medical dispatch 9-1-1 system. Our current fleet includes 20 ALS ambulances, three Supervisor Units, two EMS Bike Teams, an EMS Transport Cart, an EMS Explorer Post and several support vehicles.
We are very proud to have provided Merced County with over 60 years of quality emergency medical services. We will continue to be an integral part of Merced County, today and tomorrow!
Our History . . . since 1948
Caring for patients, since 1948
Kraig Riggs learning the industry.
