The rotor crew consists of a pilot, medic, nurse and communication specialist. The nurses and medics work 24-hour shifts. The pilots and communication specialists work 12-hour shifts. The nurses, pilots and communication specialists consist of full-time, part-time and per-diem employees. The medic positions are per-diem, as most of our medics are full time employees of the Idaho Falls Fire Department.

Our nurses come from backgrounds of at least 5 years experience with a minimum of two years in emergency and/or critical care with national certification. Within two years, they must have a Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN) certification. Nurses also must have an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or EMT-P (paramedic) certification. The medics must be currently employed and have at least three years experience with a busy, progressive ALS unit as a paramedic with national registry or Idaho certification. All nurses and medics have certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP), Basic Trauma Life Support (BTLS) or Transport Nurse Advanced Trauma Care (TNATC). The crews also maintain skills in invasive procedures through biannual procedure labs, and undergo biannual aircraft safety instruction and annual survival training. Due to the physical nature of the job, the crew must be in good physical condition and be able to hike and carry a stretcher with a 200# patient. Crewmembers cannot exceed 200# and/or more than 10% of their ideal body weight. Annual fitness testing is performed and measures weight, % body fat, strength, flexibility, hearing and blood testing as per medical director. Smoking is highly discouraged and against policy while in uniform or at functions representing Air Idaho.

Preferably, Communication Specialists have at least two years of recent dispatch experience. They must have the ability to multi-task, be resourceful, be able to communicate with the public, answer incoming telephone and radio calls, determine priorities, read maps and provide navigational coordinates and frequencies for communication.

Pilots must be experienced in mountain terrain and preferably prior EMS experience. The FAA part 135 is maintained through Airlink, Inc.

The average attrition at Air Idaho is around 9 years with 1/3 of the original employees still working for A.I.R. The degree of job satisfaction is high among the crew and they are eager to share responsibilities. All of the crew participates in PR, safety training, quality assurance and education. The team’s primary focus is safety and debriefings are done after every flight to evaluate safety, patient concerns and flow of the team.