John “Bud” Daley II served in the Korean War as a corpsman. He learned the importance of quality patient care. After leaving Korea, he was assigned to the Philippine Islands, where he managed a military ambulance. Through his experience, Bud realized that medically trained personal should be available to everyone in a time of need. Upon leaving the army in 1949, Bud traveled to Fargo, ND and worked for an ambulance company, where he learned what it took to run such a service.With little money and plenty of determination, Bud returned to his home in Harvey, IL and Daley’s Ambulance was born on September 1, 1950. In 1955, Bud married Betty, who became his partner in the business and in life. Betty would answer the phone and talk on the radio from the family’s kitchen table.
The company started with two used ambulances (a 1936 LaSalle and a 1946 Packard), which were equipped with first aid equipment, including oxygen. When the American Red Cross developed a training program, all of Daley’s employees attended, becoming the first company to hold advanced first aid certificates. In 1965, the American College of Surgeons came up with guidelines for splinting and handling traumatic injuries; Daley’s participated in the training to further educate their staff. In 1972, the television show ‘Emergency’ forever changed the face of Emergency Medical Services by introducing the path EMS would follow. Daley’s was a leader in having a certified staff of Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics. Daley’s was the first private ambulance to provide Advanced Life Support Service in the Chicago area.
Bud Daley was a paramedic up to the day he passed away on February 18, 2001. He was an innovator for all things EMS. His legacy lives on through his son, John “Jack” Daley III, who has been a paramedic since 1976. Jack is the current President of Daley’s and his partner, Tom Wappel, also a paramedic since 1976, is Vice President of the company. Daley’s is trusted by thirteen communities to provide primary response 9-1-1 service. The 30-vehicle fleet continues to expand, keeping current with an ever-evolving industry.
In August 2012, after receiving a growing number of requests for service in the Joliet area, Daley’s opened up a garage located near Presence St. Joseph Hospital. It is staffed with paramedics 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Randy Manns, Director of Marketing and a Paramedic for Bud’s Ambulance, who has been with the family for 28 years encouraged the expansion, “We decided the Joliet division would have Daley’s on the side of the ambulances. It’s not just a name; it’s a story, 63 years in the making. Bud would be proud to know Daley’s has a new chapter with a promising future.”
Whether the side of the vehicle reads Daley’s or Bud’s, the family-focused outfit is pleased to provide its original vision of rapid response and professional care to the Timbers community. More than just family-owned, Daley’s is truly family-operated; Jack Daley’s four daughters hold positions from paramedic and EMT to dispatch and marketing manager.
Laura Daley, who oversees the Joliet area, assures that Timbers has been extremely welcoming and wants residents to know the same warmth in return, “Emergencies can be a scary thing. Our goal is to provide comfort and the best patient care.” Comfort, she says, like transporting to a further hospital and not just the closest, as long as condition renders, “If you have a doctor that you prefer to see at a different hospital, we can get you there.”
Daley’s offers emergency and non-emergency ambulance and Medicar transportation, as well as assistance with slips and falls, health and safety presentations and return trips from hospitals. “Or maybe you’re just not feeling well and aren’t sure if you should to go to the hospital? Call us,” Laura adds. “We can come check you out.”
63 years later, the calls won’t be answered from a kitchen table, but the level of care remains unchanged. Surely, when John “Bud” Daley returned from war in 1949, the corpsman could only dream that his lifetime of civilian service would become his family’s foundation for generations to come.