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Contact: Jennifer Hardcastle, RN
REACH Director of Program Development
(707) 324-2400
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
REACH Air Medical Services to Provide Helicopter Services at LakeBerryessa Throughout Memorial Day Weekend
Additional Helicopter Enhances Emergency Medical Services
SANTA ROSA, CALIF. — May 26, 2005
---REACH Air Medical Services is extending its services this Memorial Day Weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 27, 28 and 29, by operating an additional helicopter at LakeBerryessa in NapaCounty. REACH’s additional helicopter will stage at the Napa County CDF station during peak hours on May 27, 28 and 29 in anticipation of the area’s increased holiday-weekend population.
“We’re excited to be able to extend our services this busy weekend,” said REACH Director of Clinical Operations Sean Russell. “By offering an additional helicopter we
hope to make this beautiful recreational area safer for the anticipated high volume of weekend visitors. By establishing service at the lake, we will be able to transport patients to the area’s trauma centers much
more quickly than if we were responding from our closest full-time base locations in Santa Rosa and Concord.”
The Napa County Emergency Medical Services Agency and the Napa County CDF Unit have both been extremely supportive of REACH’s proposal to locate a helicopter to the lake area. The
agency staff was instrumental in coordinating the efforts of NapaCounty ambulance, fire, and dispatch centers, and the CDF unit has graciously offered their crew quarters to the REACH staff.
“The EMS agency is delighted that REACH has agreed to increase its presence at the lake during these very busy summer weekends,” said Dr. Karen Smith, public health officer for
NapaCounty.
“We expect this should decrease response times and increase the level of emergency care available to accident victims at the lake.”
In addition to the expansion of service this Memorial Holiday weekend, REACH plans on placing an additional air ambulance at LakeBerryessa during 4th of July and Labor Day Holidays.
REACH Air Medical Services (www.reachairambulance.com) is headquartered in Santa Rosa and provides helicopter and fixed wing patient
transportation for critically ill and injured patients. Since REACH’s inception in 1987, the company has performed more than 25,000 air ambulance missions and has developed a specialty in serving pediatric
and neonatal patients. REACH supports bases in Concord, Lakeport, Lodi, Marysville, Redding, and Santa Rosa.
REACH was one of the first air transport programs to be fully CAMTS certified (www.camts.org) and has one of the most aggressive safety programs
in the air ambulance industry. REACH was also the first air ambulance company to receive FAA approval to respond in low-visibility conditions using established GPS routing procedures. REACH continues to
be a leader in air ambulance safety, currently installing Night Vision Goggle equipment in its aircraft to increase night flying safety. REACH is privately owned and operated.
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