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Choosing an air ambulance is a serious decision that should not be taken lightly. Some of the most important things to take into consideration when you are choosing an air ambulance are standards, safety record, and qualifications.

There are so many questions you need to ask before you decide which Air Ambulance company you should hire because choosing the wrong ambulance can literally be the difference between life and death. You should never let cost be the deciding factor when you are choosing an air ambulance company as their cost is usually covered by insurance. According to Air Ambulance Facts, here are key things to consider when making this vital selection:

Standards

While this system has been in place since as early as the 1930's air ambulances have recently become a public business and as such the FFA has yet to set industry standards for the airbuses. You main focus when you are considering standards are the quality of the aircraft and to ensure the company you are hiring is not a broker. A broker is a company who sets up flights for people and adds a fee on top of the fee charged by the air ambulance. For this reason brokers will typically go with the cheapest services available to increase the profit margin.

The quality of an air ambulance is very important when you are deciding which company to choose. You should always ask what type of aircraft they use to transport patients; this is important to know because you need to know if the air ambulance can fly in any type of weather and also if the cabin of the aircraft is pressurized or not.

Safety Record

Generally all of the Air Ambulances will have perfect safety recorded but this is something that you should look into. An imperfect safety record can point to a number of things including under qualified pilots or even the potential of less than reliable aircraft used to transport passengers. You should ensure that any air ambulance company that you book with is certified through the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services. This will ensure the company meets their lengthy standards and will help you eliminate unsafe companies from your air ambulance search.

Qualifications

Due to the lack of federal prerequisites on public air ambulances the qualifications of both the medical team and the pilots can sometimes be questionable. You should ensure that the pilot who will be flying your air ambulance is certified to fly that type of aircraft. You should make sure that the air ambulance company you decide to hire is adequately staffs and includes a flight nurse, paramedics, therapists, and a fully trained doctor. It is not uncommon for less than reputable air ambulance companies to employ doctors who are still in the training aspect of their career.