Medical evacuation flight company expands, providing coverage to Tahoe area
CARSON CITY, Nev. – A medical evacuation helicopter is now just a 4-5 minute flight from the Tahoe Basin with Rural Medevac Alliance’s new location at the base of Highway 50 in Carson City, Nev., offering life-saving air medical transport.
The Yerington, Nev. based company, which also operates under the name, Battle Born Medevac, has expanded to become a primary resource for the Douglas County and Carson City area through public-private partnership with the East Fork Fire Department. That includes those county areas that lie within the Lake Tahoe area.
The company is now also the primary resource for Alpine County, and anticipates the helicopter responding to emergent calls at Kirkwood Mountain Resort.
The asset is also available to respond to other areas within the Tahoe Basin. A significant amount of work is expected to come from the south and west areas Lake Tahoe, given how busy another company’s aircraft is, CALSTAR 6, which is based at the airport in South Lake Tahoe.
Rural Medevac Alliance started operating in June of last year. “Since that time,” CEO and flight nurse, Joey Loehner says, “we have helped hundreds of patients get to the medical care they urgently need[ed].”
Major auto accidents, hospital patient rapid transports, cardiac or neurological emergencies, or search and rescue support are just a few examples of the services Rural Medevac Alliance provides.
The company’s primary goal is to provide rapid access to critical care in rural areas through fostering strong relationships with local emergency resources. This agreement with East Fork Fire Protection District is an example of that.
Equipped with industry-leading E3 White Phosphorous Night Vision Goggle System, the service is operational 24/7.
Loehner says there is a need for this type of service due to the areas of Northern Nevada and Northern California being sparsely populated, yet covering vast swaths of land.
“This means that driving to a hospital is often several hours,” he explains. “Helicopters drastically shorten the time needed to get a patient to tertiary care.”
For more information, visit, ruralmedevac.com.
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