posted December 11, 2024

Henderson, NV, Dec. 11, 2024 – The Mercy Air bases in Henderson, Mesquite, and Mercy Air 21 in Pahrump are proud to announce their recent designation as first responders. This allows Mercy Air’s air medical crew to land directly at the scene, when it is determined to be safe by the pilot, and begin patient care immediately—without waiting for ground-based first responders to secure a landing zone, as previously required.

“The first responder designation enables the air medical team to better support the EMS system, particularly in remote or rural areas of Southern Nevada where ground crews often have to cover large areas,” said Vanessa Hayflich, regional sales director with Air Methods, the nation’s leading air medical service and parent company of Mercy Air. “Often an air medical team is able to reach remote areas more quickly, thereby improving response time to emergency scenes and ultimately benefiting the patients. This ability is crucial when every second and minute counts.”

To receive this designation, the Mercy Air team had to demonstrate a need for first responder status, and the pilots and flight crews had to undergo additional training on how to identify a suitable landing zone without ground support. They also had to educate ground crews in the service area on approaching a scene when an aircraft was already on site.

“The unique challenges of first responder HEMS operations, particularly in remote, inaccessible, or underserved areas, are addressed through specialized training and risk mitigation efforts,” said Air Methods Regional Aviation Manager Amber Brown. “This designation reflects Air Methods’ commitment to maintaining the highest level of safety for its crews while ensuring rapid response in critical situations.”

The Mercy Air crews will still rely on ground responders to secure landing zones when they are unable to locate a safe place to land or when potential hazards need to be cleared. Additionally, the helicopter must still be dispatched through a 911 or agency request, and emergency responders must be en route to the scene as no air medical team is permitted to self-dispatch in any situation.

“First responder capability for Mercy Air is instrumental in providing support to our rural communities and outlying areas,” said Clark County Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Lunkwitz. “Providing access to advanced medical support through air to ground responses to the underserved communities will undeniably enhance the emergency response system. We are grateful for these advancements and our partners at Mercy Air for streamlining these endeavors.”

The clinical team carries whole blood on every Mercy Air transport mission and can administer it on scene or in flight, if needed, positively increasing patient outcomes. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS)—the highest standard in safety, clinical practice, quality assurance, and training in the industry. Air Methods is committed to providing air medical services to all members of the communities they serve and is in-network with most major health insurance providers for emergency air medical services. Additionally, their patient advocacy program works with all patients, regardless of insurance, to ensure affordability.