Early finish for Guardian Flight base in Worland
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Courtesy Guardian Flight The aircraft to be used by Guardian Flight for the Worland base is the Beechcraft King Air C-90B. The C-90B is a twin turbo prop aircraft with a reputation for reliability, performance and comfort. The cruising speed for the C-90B is 270 mph with a range of 1100 statute miles. The pressurized cabin allows the aircraft to fly at altitudes up to 29,000 feet. Guardians C-90Bs are equipped with a complete medical configuration (ICU type), a GPS system, a pressurized cabin, built in oxygen and suction as well as full de-icing equipment.
WORLAND – During the Washakie County Commissioners meeting Tuesday, Guardian Flight Program Director Matt Strauss reported to the commissioners that the fixed-wing air ambulance base at the Worland airport was a month ahead of schedule and should be ready for business on Feb. 15.
On Nov. 17 Washakie County Commissioners approved entering into a three-year, $25,000 contract with Guardian Air Ambulance, a subsidiary of the Air Medical Resource Group (AMRG). Guardian will provide both fixed-wing and rotary-wing flights for county residents.
Washakie County previously had a contract with EagleMed. The commission chose to switch to Guardian because of Guardian's commitment to building a fixed-wing air base.
During the meeting a concern was addressed on whether residents would be charged for the service. "Guardian Flight will be paid by Medicare or insurance and whatever they don't cover will be written off by the company," Strauss stated. "If someone is uninsured, that flight will be written off as well, no one (from Washakie County) at any time will receive a bill from us," he added.
Strauss explained that because there are Guardian Flight bases in other places with high volumes the Worland base would be subsidized by the other bases. In the end the bases with large volume help support the bases with a lower volume.
The Guardian Flight base at the Worland airport will join other bases across Wyoming, with those bases ready to step in if the Worland plane is unavailable. "We have a fixed-wing plane base in Lander and Gillette and a helicopter base in Riverton," Strauss said. "If our plane is unavailable a plane from one of those bases could be here in around an hour," he added.
Guardian Flight will have an experienced nurse and doctor, trained for flight and critical care on every flight and all pilots are required to have at least 3,000 hours flight experience. "The normal amount of experience required is 1,500 to 2,000 hours Flight time but Guardian Flight requires at least 3,000," Strauss stated.
All crew for Guardian Flight will be together while on shift and Guardian Flight has already attained crew quarters in Worland. "When on shift the crew will almost always be together," Strauss said.
All residents in the county will be receiving Guardian Flight membership cards in the mail shortly. The cards will cover residents anywhere in the country that is in the Guardian Flight coverage area. Guardian Flight coverage area is a 16 state network which covers much of the western U.S., Alaska and Hawaii.
