Life Flight to add helicopter critical care transport base to Cd'A

Life Flight Network, the nation's largest nonprofit air ambulance provider, announced the addition of a helicopter critical care transport base in Coeur d'Alene. This new service will augment existing helicopter and fixed-wing services in north-central Idaho, Eastern Washington and western Montana. The new helicopter base, slated to open this spring, will serve as a standalone base of operations with dedicated pilots, mechanics, nurses and paramedics.

"With the rapidly increasing population in this region, there has been a greater demand for our services, and we are always listening for feedback from the communities we serve. By placing an additional helicopter in the North Idaho region, we will have increased capacity to support the area's growing population and their critical medical transport needs," said Dominic Pomponio, vice president, Life Flight Network.

The addition of a helicopter base in Coeur d'Alene will allow for an even faster response time to the surrounding communities, supplementing the coverage provided by bases in Spokane and Pullman, Wash., and Sandpoint and Lewiston.

"We are excited about Life Flight Network adding an additional life-saving resource to Kootenai County. We have long enjoyed a great relationship with Life Flight Network and value their ability to transport our most critically ill and injured patients to a hospital when time is of the essence. Today's news is one more example of how valuable a partnership like this is to the patients we serve," said Christopher Way, fire chief, Kootenai County Fire & Rescue.

Along with the aircraft's state of the art medical interior, the combined efforts of a flight registered nurse and flight paramedic enable Life Flight Network crews to operate a mobile intensive care unit with the ability to perform a multitude of highly skilled medical functions during transport, including video laryngoscopes, ICU-level ventilators and emergency blood transfusions.

"Providing the highest level clinical care is important to all of us at Life Flight Network as we live work, and play in the region alongside the patients we serve. The addition of the helicopter base in Coeur d'Alene will undoubtedly save lives by providing patients a faster response when time is of the essence," said Casey Seckel, chief clinical officer, Life Flight Network.

The helicopter based in Coeur d'Alene will be an AgustaWestland AW119Kx 'Koala,' providing safe, reliable and efficient rotor-wing transport and the highest productivity levels among single-engine helicopters. Equipped with a state-of-the-art Garmin G-1000H cockpit, it provides excellent situational awareness to the pilot. The aircraft is spacious with the capacity to transport two patients or a specialty team with unencumbered full-body access while cruising at an impressive speed of 166 miles per hour. Life Flight Network is the largest operator of medically equipped AW119Kx's in the U.S., with 21 operating across Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana.

For more information about Life Flight Network visit: www.lifeflight.org.