LifeFlight of Maine, along with our aviation operator EraMED, takes safety seriously. Each day people from across Maine entrust us with their lives and the lives of their loved ones. Our simple, yet profound, philosophy is that we must always be worthy of that trust.

Over the last 10 years, LifeFlight has worked diligently to create a culture of safety.

We have transported more than 9,000 patients since 1998, without incident, precisely because we put safety first. LifeFlight is proud to have been recognized with the national Charlson Air Medical Safety Award in 2003 and a national Excellence in Community Service Award for its aviation safety infrastructure project in 2007.  In addition, LifeFlight was named the top air medical program in the US and Canada in 2008, an honor that is earned through demonstrating the highest levels of safety, quality, business ethics and innovation. Most recently, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) asked LifeFlight’s executive director to testify as a subject matter expert regarding program models and corporate governance at the national hearings on medical helicopter accidents in February.

But we know that our commitment to safety must be renewed daily.

We believe it is important for our partners and the public to understand the essential elements in LifeFlight’s approach to safety. Before a call even comes in, LifeFlight and the EraMED pilots have taken steps to ensure the highest level of safety.

• LifeFlight is a non-profit organization that doesn’t face the same revenue pressures as the for-profit programs found outside of New England.
• Hospitals in Maine and New England work collaboratively to avoid creating a competitive air ambulance environment.
• Strict guidelines, written by a team of 18 physicians, govern the medical necessity of each flight.
• We track the discharge rate of our patients in order to check medical necessity. The percentage of our patients that are discharged in less than 24 hours is consistently around 4%, a fraction of the reported rates in areas of the country with intense medical helicopter competition.
• LifeFlight operates with full instrument flight (IFR) technology and state-of-the-art navigation and weather radar.
• LifeFlight of Maine has recently installed night vision technology on both of its helicopters.
• Pilots make flight decisions based strictly on safety, without knowing the clinical needs of the patient.
• Our ongoing infrastructure project, considered a national model, is building a comprehensive system of automated weather observation stations and safe landing zones.
• LifeFlight has just installed active satellite tracking in both aircraft to improve communications between the crew, communications specialists (dispatchers), and regional trauma centers.
• Our organizational standards are above and beyond federal regulations. We are accredited by the national CAMTS organization and work with the Aviation Safety Network, International Helicopter Safety Team and New England Air Alliance to develop and implement best practice standards.
• The flight crew provides ground safety training free of charge to all of Maine’s EMS agencies.

LifeFlight was built on the premise of achieving the highest performance possible for operating and clinical safety. We believe that by developing a carefully designed and operated system, we can reduce the risks of emergency operations to as low as possible. Download our Commitment to Safety Statement for a more detailed look at what we do to ensure the safety of our patients and crew.