Richard J. “Rick” Larkin 

Rick is a seasoned Emergency Management and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) leader with nearly 40 years of experience across public safety, emergency planning, and operational leadership. His background spans frontline response, executive leadership, and consulting, giving him a well-rounded perspective on system design, preparedness, and real-world operations.

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Rick began his career in EMS and has worked at every level of service delivery, including hospital-based, private, and fire-based systems. He has served as a paramedic, supervisor, and EMS manager, with deep experience in both clinical operations and system management. He was a founding member of the Dakota County EMS Consortium, helping align training, medical direction, and regional coordination across multiple agencies, resulting in stronger partnerships and measurable efficiencies.

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He later served more than a decade as Director of Emergency Management for the City of Saint Paul, where he led preparedness and response efforts for a wide range of incidents and large-scale events. In that role, he coordinated multi-agency operations and served as a key advisor to city leadership.

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Rick currently serves as a Public Safety Operations leader for the Minnesota State Fair, where he leads emergency planning and manages Emergency Operations Center functions for one of the largest mass gatherings in the country.

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Rick’s work focuses on EMS system development, emergency operations, training and exercises, and program assessment. He is a Certified Emergency Manager, holds a Master’s degree in Management with a focus on Public Safety Administration.