Buck Ambulance Service of Portland, Oregon began life as Oregon Ambulance Service in 1913. Owned and operated by Ben Buck and Frank Sheperd, this partnership thrived until the early 1920s when a mayoral contingent from Seattle, Washington petitioned them to open a similar service in their city. Neither of these two men wanted to leave Portland so the decision to do so was left to chance: A coin toss. Sheperd lost, moved to Seattle, and started his business in 1923 – Sheperd Ambulance, which sold to AMR in 1995.
After separation, Oregon Ambulance Service was rebranded to Buck Ambulance Service in 1924. Twenty-five years later, Ben retired leaving the daily operations of the company to his son Barney (1949). In 1976, Dennis Marsh and Willamette Falls Ambulance Service purchased Buck