American Medical Response, Hawaii Life Flight Expedite Air Medical Transport via PMRF Airfield

At approximately 10:25 A.M., April 10, Juvann Bautista, an Emergency Medical Technician with American Medical Response (AMR), arrived at the Pacific Missile Range Facility airfield transporting a patient for a Hawaii Life Flight Air Medical Transfer. Barking Sands Fire and Emergency Services Department personnel, Chris Gutierrez and Michelle Hickerson, escorted the ambulance on to the airfield tarmac to facilitate transfer of the patient from the ambulance on to the plane. Within 30 minutes, the plane was in the air with the patient onboard.
“When a patient needs air medical transfer on the west-side we are able to reduce transport time by an hour or more when going to PMRF instead of driving all the way to the other side of the island,” said Bautista. “An hour can make a serious difference in any situation, but it’s huge when you’re talking about life saving care. The team at PMRF is always super professional and they help me with whatever I need when I get there.”
With only three hospitals on Kauai patients requiring emergency specialty care often require air medical transfer to Oahu. PMRF is one of only two commonly used patient transport zones on the island with the other being Lihue Airport.
“AMR and Hawaii Life Flight are the real heroes when it comes to these flights,” said Michelle Hickerson, with Barking Sands Fire and Emergency Services. “They’re the ones transporting the patients we’re just happy to help them however we can to ensure that process goes smoothly.”