|
Air Evac Lifeteam Responds to Requests for Hurricane Rita Victims
Air Evac Lifeteam is again answering the call for help, this time from medical facilities along the Texas coastline who are requesting assistance evacuating patients in anticipation of Hurricane Rita.
Air Evac Lifeteam, an air ambulance service based in West Plains, Missouri, sent six helicopters to the Texas coastline to help with pre-storm medical evacuation efforts. The evacuations began Tuesday night and will continue until crews are no longer able to fly due to weather conditions.
Air Evac Lifeteam Vice President of Operations Seth Myers said they were contacted early this week by several hospitals in Texas asking if Air Evac would be able to help if evacuations were necessary.
“When it became apparent the storm headed toward the Texas coastline was gaining strength, these hospitals asked us if we could go ahead and start the evacuations on Tuesday,” Myers said. “We also received a request from the Texas Department of Health/Bureau of EMS to assist with the mandatory evacuation of patients in the Galveston area. We’ve assigned two crews from Wharton and LaGrange, Texas, to work directly with those officials.”
Air Evac Lifeteam, which owns and operates 10 Critical Air bases in Texas, deployed crews from Brownwood, Stamford, Marble Falls and San Marcos, Texas, to work with hospitals along the coastline. They will be operating from a base in Wharton.
Air Evac Lifeteam crews just returned two weeks ago from assisting with medical evacuation efforts in Mississippi and Louisiana. Eight helicopters and more than 65 crewmembers were sent to the region. In a six-day period, they provided medical evacuation to 100 patients and distributed medical supplies, food and water to medical facilities along the coastline.
“We’re glad we have the resources available to help in disasters such as this,” said Air Evac Lifeteam President and CEO Colin Collins. “Being able to lend a helping hand to our neighbors is part of our mission for rural America. It’s a mission made possible because of the support of the communities we serve and because of our Air Evac Lifeteam members.”
Air Evac Lifeteam is the largest independently owned air ambulance service in the United States. Based out of West Plains, Mo., the company operates 58 bases in 11 states throughout the central United States. The company has been providing medical evacuation services to rural communities for 20 years.
For more information about Air Evac Lifeteam services, call 1-800-793-0010 or visit www.lifeteam.net
|
|