Fallon Ambulance Service, the region's largest independent, family-owned ambulance service provider, plans to move into its new Quincy headquarters in January 2005.

The relocation will triple the operating space for the 68-year old, third-generation business, which provides 9-1-1 municipal services for Quincy and five other Greater Boston communities. Peter Racicot, Fallon's Senior Vice President of Business Development, said that the firm is making arrangements now for the relocation to their new headquarters at 111 Brook Road, West Quincy.

Fallon's relocation is an important step in the revitalization of an area of Quincy that has been underutilized for many years. Fallon Ambulance has invested $3.5 million in the refurbishing of the former New England Steel Tank building, which dates back to the 1940s and prior to the purchase by Fallon was unoccupied. The city will realize a significant benefit in both property and excise taxes; the building, originally valued at $700,000, will carry a significantly increased valuation, providing an increased source of property tax revenue to the City of Quincy. Fallon Ambulance will house 60 of its vehicles in Quincy.

Fallon move qualifies for Economic Target Area Grant

Fallon Ambulance Service has qualified for tax incentives from the Quincy City Council under the ETA (Economic Target Area) Grant, which encourages companies to build in certain areas of the city. Some of the financing of the construction for the new Fallon headquarters has come through the South Shore Economic Development Corporation, which is an agent of the Small Business Administration (SBA) financing.

The revitalized structure consists of 43,000 square feet of space on a 70,000 square foot lot. The first floor will serve as garage space, occupying 30,000 square feet to house the vehicles in the Fallon fleet. The second floor includes 13,000 square feet of office space; the building features a two-story lobby with a glass entrance.

At the same time, Fallon Ambulance has purchased another building in Quincy, a location at 146 Hancock Street, N. Quincy, which will serve as one of the company's satellite locations. Fallon has purchased this 5800 square foot building at a price of $650,000 and expects to invest an additional $200,000-$500,000 in refurbishing it.

Total investment in Quincy properties to exceed $6 million

Between purchase prices and renovations to the main building and the satellite location, the Fallon Ambulance investment in the City of Quincy will exceed $6 million.

Fallon Ambulance will also maintain property in Milton. Racicot notes, “We have strong roots in Milton as well as in Quincy. But we have outgrown our existing space and we know that our new facility will help us better serve our communities and our clients.”

Racicot added, “This state-of-the-art facility will enable us to have an on-site training facility, expanded dispatch capabilities, and greater opportunities for expansion.”

Sheskey Architects in Quincy provided design services for the building's retrofit; Bayview Development serves as General Contractor.

Fallon Ambulance is one of the region's larger employers, whose personnel include paramedics, EMTs, and chair car drivers. In the last decade, the company has grown significantly, in both personnel and scope of the 9-1-1 coverage provided. The company has added Quincy, Braintree, Brookline, Dedham and Weymouth to the list of communities for which it provides primary 9-1-1 service, in addition to the town of Milton. Additionally, the company provides paramedic intercept services for a growing number of communities.