First EMS helicopters on Coast take flight

NORTH BEND - Back in May, KCBY first told you how a local air ambulance company would soon be offering the first EMS helicopters on the South Coast.

A month later, they're now in use and saving lives.

One of two helicopters, a Bolkow 105, that Emergency Airlift purchased was on display Friday.

The helicopters now give them the ability to land directly at the hospital or at the scene of an accident, reducing patient time out of the hospital.

Owner Ed Langerveld says, so far, they've had 15 flights up and down the Coast.

"Loading is easier than we anticipated," says Langerveld. "The speed in which we can get a patient out of the hospital right to the helicopter works really slick."

He adds, most of their flights have been used to transport patients from Mercy Hospital in Roseburg and Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay.

From the Bay Area, it takes 30 minutes to fly to Eugene and about an hour and 15 minutes to arrive in Portland.

"We can cut the transport time by 10 minutes depending on the type of injuries the patient has," says Langerveld. "That can be very important."

Depending on the weather conditions, he says, the company may not be able to use the helicopters all the time.

But, they also have a fleet of six fixed wing air crafts and two long range jets, all dedicated to Emergency Medical Services.