Air ambulance makes Porterville debut

By Aaron Burgin, The Porterville Recorder

Officials from a new emergency medical air transport operation coming to Porterville promise shorter transport times, which could ultimately lead to lives saved.

Golden State Air Ambulance, which uses fixed-wing aircraft for various medical transport services, will begin operations in January, Chief Executive Officer Jeff Sedenko said.

“We are looking forward to our launch, and we hope that we can provide a service that the Valley currently does not have,” said Sedenko, a pilot by trade who operated a Bakersfield air charter company prior to his current endeavor.

Air transport is a necessity in this area, as patients are frequently transported to Fresno for services unavailable at Sierra View District Hospital, Sedenko said.

The company incurred $4 million in start-up costs to bring the air medical business to Porterville, including a Piper Cheyenne 400LS, a twin-engine aircraft that still holds the record for fastest climbing time, Sedenko said.

“We have big aspirations,” said Don Claus, the company's chief flight nurse.

Officials claim the company, which currently has two planes and is recruiting emergency medical technicians and nurses, will be the only of its kind between Santa Rosa and San Diego.

Other air ambulance companies in Fresno and Bakersfield utilize helicopters. Fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter transport each have advantages over the other.

Planes are faster and can take off and land in severe weather such as fog, while helicopters can take off and land directly at the scene of accidents, said California Highway Patrol Sgt. Don Jennings, who works in the agency's air operations department.

“That's why you will see helicopters handle most of the trauma cases,” Jennings said. “The airplanes are usually used for hospital-to-hospital transports.”

Fifty-four percent of all air medical transports are hospital-to-hospital, 33 percent are scene responses, according to information from Golden State.

One decided advantage Golden State will have over some of the helicopter ambulatory businesses is the presence of an on-board nurse.

Each flight team will include a paramedic and a nurse, which will allow them to administer crucial medical services while still en route to the hospital. Air ambulance services normally have just a paramedic, Claus said.

“Time is muscle,” Claus said. “So seconds and minutes saved can save someone's life.”

Company officials are currently searching for paramedics and nurses for part-time positions that are on an on-call basis. They held a recruitment session on Wednesday at the airport, which was attended by two dozen people.

This step will rely on the cooperation of Sierra View District Hospital, the only local hospital with emergency-room nurses, Sedenko said.

“We understand that there is currently a shortage of nurses, and we don't want to take nurses away from Sierra View,” Sedenko said. “I can't stress the need for us to have good relationships with Sierra View.”

Contact Aaron Burgin at 784-5000, Ext. 1047, or aburgin@portervillerecorder.com.

This story was published in The Porterville Recorder on Dec. 23, 2006