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When a situation arises that is dire and critical enough to justify the use of an air evac service, it can be very hard to select a service. There are a number of factors to be thought about when making such an important choice. This report will go over those factors and hopefully aid in making an informed selection when it comes to picking an air evac service.

The first thing that must be thought about is the aircraft itself. If possible, choose a service with aircrafts that are equipped with big fuel tanks, so as to lessen fuel stops that might detain the transfer of the patient. A large aircraft with a large fuel tank usually also comes with a more massive entry doorway, which will make loading and unloading easier.

An additional thing to learn about an air evac service is how many pilots they have per aircraft. Having 2 pilots is definitely better than having a single pilot, as there will be a guarantee or safety net if ever something happens to one of the pilots. Also, find out how the air evacuation service chooses their pilots. Ask how many hours pilots are required to have flown before being allowed to fly their air ambulance aircraft. 2,000 hours of flight experience is usually a safe number.

Besides the flight crew, one must also consider the quality of the medical staff on board. The pilots may be flying the plane, but these are the people who will be taking care of and handling the safety of the passenger on board. The ability of the medical staff is very important. Not all air evacuation services train their medical crew for flight-specific emergencies and situations. Be sure to pick a service that has vision to do so.

One more point to think about is how well outfitted an air evac service’s aircraft is. Medical equipment seems like it should be standard for all air ambulances, but due to the high costs of business, many air evacuation services lease out their air crafts. Due to this, many planes do not have the complete array of the medical equipment that might possibly be needed. This is a chance that one should never be willing to undertake.

There are also air evac services that employ lax policies about people traveling with the patient. Patients are most likely to handle the flight better when surrounded by family or friends, so this is an important point to ponder. Some air evac providers will permit family and friends onboard, but for a high price. It would be a good idea to look for a service that permits at least a couple of people on the plane with the passenger, at no charge.

Be sure to choose an air evac service that gives bedside to bedside service. This means that the flight and medical crew will accompany with the patient until he or she gets to the hospital or medical facility. This way, the medical crew can brief the hospital team on the patient’s status and give them all the data they will need.

Denise K. Wayne is a long-time expert on air evac providers. One can learn more about the way to select an air ambulance on her site.