Austin Names New EMS Chief

AUSTIN, TX—Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk, with consultation by Assistant City Manager Rey Arellano, has selected Robert Luckritz as the city’s next EMS chief, having been selected out of a field of 37 applicants.

“I am pleased to announce Robert Luckritz as our next EMS chief,” said City Manager Spencer Cronk. “I am confident that his extensive knowledge of EMS services and programs will bring the leadership and vision we are seeking for the future of our EMS services.”

“I would like to thank Jasper Brown for his exceptional leadership while serving as Interim EMS chief since June of 2021. His dedication and commitment to the city, EMS department, and the community is truly admirable and greatly appreciated,” said Cronk.

The City of Austin's EMS department provides 9-1-1 emergency medical response to the residents of Austin and Travis County, serving a population of over 2.2 million citizens in a service region of over 1,039 square miles.
 

The EMS chief is responsible for directing the strategic planning, leadership, and oversight of all operations of the EMS department. The Office of the EMS Chief includes the Community Relations Team, Human Resources, Businesses Analysis & Research Team, and Safety.

This group is responsible for a variety of tasks, including working with and educating the community, analyzing data to improve performance, ensuring continued employee safety, recruiting employees, and providing them needed resources.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to be the City of Austin’s next EMS chief,” said Luckritz. “I look forward to creating opportunities to support and empower employees of the department in order to provide exceptional EMS services to the residents of Austin and Travis County.”

Council will be asked to confirm the appointment at its Feb. 17, 2022 council meeting.

Luckritz will begin his new duties as EMS chief March 14. As part of the public safety group, the EMS chief reports to Assistant City Manager Rey Arellano.
 
Luckritz has been in EMS for more than 25 years, serving many roles including paramedic, instructor, field supervisor, EMS chief, and hospital leader. He is currently COO of Transformative Healthcare, a multi-state EMS, medical transportation, and public health organization in New England.

Luckritz previously served as chief and executive director of Jersey City Medical Center EMS, the exclusive EMS provider for Jersey City and Medical-9-1-1 and paramedic provider for Hudson County, which responds to more than 100,000 9-1-1 requests annually and serves 700,000 residents. Through his tenure as EMS chief, Luckritz led the organization and its 500+ providers through significant growth despite organizational and political upheaval. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Luckritz served as vice president of hospital operations for a major metro-NYC academic medical center. 

Luckritz has served on the board of the National Association of EMTs for over 7 years, serves as chair of the NAEMT Workforce Committee, was president of the New Jersey Association of Paramedics, and was a board member of the National Association of Urban Hospitals. Luckritz is a licensed attorney and is a nationally recognized speaker and consultant on leadership theory, organizational behavior, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.