Montana News

New air ambulance launches in SW Montana

Posted: Feb 6, 2012 1:50 PM by Melissa Anderson - KXLH

BOZEMAN- Southwestern Montana has a new emergency air ambulance service available, as Summit Air is now providing critical services and transportation to remote or rural locations in the region.

Unlike a fixed-wing aircraft, Summit Air's emergency helicopter can not only land anywhere, but brings with it a crucial level of care to the field.

Now one of six air ambulance services in the state, Summit Air is contracted to fill a void in rural southwest Montana.

"We can land close to the patient usually, we can find a meadow to land in, we can land on a road, if it's close to an accident, we can land on a ridge that's nearby. A hunter that's hurt, a snowmobiler or something like that, we're also going to help with search and rescues," Summit Air pilot Jeff Cook explained.

Along with the pilot and a flight nurse and paramedic, the team is ready at a moment's notice.

"With the crew that we have now, they are all critical care transport-certified. We've got monitors of course, we've got survival equipment again, medications, IV and infusion pumps," Chief flight nurse Bill Norton said.

Servicing about a 150 mile radius from Bozeman, Summit Air provides bed to bed critical service in the air.

Flight paramedic Ben King noted, "The goal is bed to bed care without anyone knowing the difference. The company has spared no expense. We have the best equipment, we have the best-trained pilots."

Traveling at speeds of around 165 miles an hour it only takes 20 minutes to fly from the Bozeman airport to Helena.

"The twin engine gives us the added level of safety we look for. The pilots also fly with night vision goggles at night for another level of safety there. This machine is also equipped with a MaxViz infrared camera system," Cook said.

Flying over Montana's mountains in various weather conditions for the past 12 years, Cook's experience lends to the safety as well. And often, insurance companies will cover the costs of the service

"With a medical necessity, with an emergent patient, critical care situation, we do provide that service and a lot of insurance companies will work with the patient and us as far as reimbursement," Summit Air's Jason Croik explained.