New Helicopter Medevac to Service Maui County

A new Emergency Medical Services helicopter will soon provide 911 service for Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi. The helicopter will be dedicated on Tuesday, April 2, at the Maui Memorial Medical Center helipad.

“This is exciting news for Maui County residents and visitors, especially those located in our rural areas such as Kalaupapa, Hāna, and Lānaʻi,” Mayor Michael Victorino said. “We are always concerned about our people during emergencies and this new helicopter medevac makes our rural communities that much safer.”

REACH Air Medical Services is supplying the new medically-configured, twin-engine Airbus H-135 helicopter, which is equipped with the latest avionics and safety features. The company also will provide the pilots and aircraft maintenance technicians for the Maui-based operation, while American Medical Response will provide the medical flight staff.

“The aircraft is now on Maui, and the pilots are going through night vision training this week,” said Alvin C. Bronstein, MD, Branch Chief of the Emergency Medical Services & Injury Prevention System Branch at the Hawaiʻi Department of Health. “This twin-engine helicopter can fly over water in response to a number of emergencies. We are very proud of this addition to the fleet. I want to thank Speedy Bailey (Regional Director for AMR’s Hawaii operations), REACH/Hawaii Life Flight and AMR, who were instrumental in obtaining this aircraft for Maui County.”

The state Department of Health cost shares this unit with the County of Maui, with the department billing for services. There have been 635 medevac missions since EMS helicopter operations began in 2004.

Maui medevac responds to field calls of serious to critical nature where there would otherwise be an extended transportation time to the emergency room. Trips from Hāna, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi and West Maui have logged the most missions.

Pacific Helicopters previously provided the helicopter, pilots and maintenance. REACH Air Medical Services under Air Medical Group Holdings has been working with AMR under the new parent company Global Medical Response since March 2018.