Residents of a Florida county will soon be able to indicate to emergency personnel their preference for using the county’s free helicopter ambulance instead of the commercial alternative, according to a Key West Citizen report.
Monroe County, which includes the Florida Keys, operates a taxpayer-funded air ambulance service called Trauma Star. But according to the news report, many injured residents are transported to an area trauma center via the LifeNet medical helicopter, which costs patients $55,000. Citizens transported by LifeNet have complained that they were never informed of the free alternative.
County commissioners recently voted to issue “Trauma Star 1st” decals to residents, the Key West Citizen reported. The decals can be affixed to drivers’ licenses, alerting EMS personnel of the injured person’s preference for the tax-funded service. Read More