In a medical emergency, minutes matter. Air Idaho Rescue (A.I.R) is EIRMC’s air emergency medical transport service. Because of EIRMC’s premier trauma services, A.I.R. responds to critical illnesses and injuries within a 500-mile radius of the hospital. This area encompasses some of the most rugged, remote, and sparsely populated terrain in the United States, including the magnificent Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. This isolated and unspoiled wilderness attracts thousands of local residents and visitors every year to hike, ski, raft, climb, fish and hunt, but poses special challenges when someone is seriously ill or injured. Air Idaho Rescue works to provide the most effective backcountry rescue service available anywhere. In a landscape with few roads and no towns, getting help to you, when and where you need it, is our specialty.
And for area residents, we have a number of programs to make our service more quick and cost effective.
A registered nurse and paramedic provide care and support for patients until they are safely delivered to definitive care. Ongoing training on a host of critical care, invasive procedures, drug administration and equipment ensures we are ready for anything. Dedicated pilots and mechanics round out the team of professionals committed to the safe transport of our patients.
Air Idaho Rescue in Action
View our timeline that shows how our program has grown since 1990.
Our Airplane
The Pilatus PC-12 /45 Turboprop: Providing Rapid, Rugged Response
Helicopters have their limitations, adverse weather being one of them. When the elements prevent our chopper from taking to the air, we rely on the well-proven, Swiss-build, Pilatus PC-12/45. A crew consisting of one pilot, a registered nurse, and a paramedic is based at the Idaho Falls Airport to provide 24/7 dedicated service and a timely response. With dependable all-weather flying capabilities, a 300 mile-per-hour cruising speed, and the ability to operate from high altitude airports, the PC-12 is well suited to the mission of Air Idaho Rescue. Nurses with advanced skills and training in High Risk Obstetrics and Neonatal Intensive Care are added as needed.
Our Helicopter
The Bell 407
The Bell 407 integrates reliability, speed, performance, and maneuverability. Its Rolls Royce turbine engine delivers exceptional hot & high performance with the ability to cruise at 140 knots (259 km/hr). All crew members utilize Night Vision Goggles during times of low light flying. Night Vision Goggles enhance visibility so we can better detect hazards, obstructions and have a greater situational awareness.
Our Crew
Nationally Recognized Excellence
The Air Idaho Rescue crew has been recognized by industry peers as being among the best in the nation. With a range of specialty trained emergency, intensive care, NICU and labor and delivery nurses, paramedics, physicians, pilots, mechanics and communications specialists, the talented men and women of Air Idaho Rescue are dedicated to saving lives through rapid medical transport.
Air Idaho Rescue is constantly engaged in innovation, advanced training, and the adoption of leading-edge practices such as:
- Development of a fully coordinated air transport system, meaning “single source” care from pick-up to arrival the hospital’s doors.
- An industry-leading safety record
- Adoption of new FAA safety recommendations before they were required for the nation at large.
- FAA certification for the use of night vision goggles, allowing Air Idaho Rescue's helicopter crew to fly night missions more safely.
- Development of an innovative rural registry program that results in faster, more effective rescues from remote areas.
