CWWFD#2 continues emergency medical air transport training

WAITSBURG - The Columbia Walla Walla County Fire District #2, and CCFD #1 from Starbuck participated in a medical emergency transport training on Monday, June 1. Life Flight Network landed one of its transport helicopters on the Waitsburg School District's baseball field on E. 10th St.

The training provided by Life Flight began with a classroom presentation, followed by on-site training in assisting with patient loading and unloading, coordinating landing zones, and maintaining radio contact.

Katie Knighton

Members of CWWFD#2 and CCFD#1 practiced patient loading with the Life Flight crew

"Being familiar with their (Life Flight) staff and procedures helps us all work together during an emergency," said CWWFD#2 Fire Chief Matt Spring.

Katie Knighton

Life Flight training at the Waitsburg baseball field.

According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the average air ambulance trip is 52 miles and costs between $12,000 and $25,000 per flight. However, costs could be higher for patients in need of a Level I trauma center, who must be flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle or to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, which is a Level II trauma center.

Many traditional health insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, cover air transport if deemed necessary. However, with potentially high deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses, many residents supplement coverage with regional air ambulance memberships. Life Flight and Airlift Northwest are two services that offer helicopter and fixed-wing air transport in Washington for less than $100 per year.

The Life Flight membership offers full coverage for unlimited, ICU-level-care, air transport in Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Hawaii, and other areas through reciprocal partners. Membership includes household coverage, unlimited transports, and annual fees of only $85.

Life Flight is the largest not-for-profit medical air service in the country, and Airlift Northwest is a hospital-based service through UW Medicine.

For more information, visit Life Flight Network at lifeflight.org or Airlift Northwest at http://www.uwmedicine.org/airliftnw.