April 1 marked the one-year anniversary of Air Evac Lifeteam base 114 in Ironton and on the cusp of a commemoration planned for early May membership sales manager Michael Walker is fervently adding to the company’s 1.3 million nationwide members.

“The Upper Township Trustees just bought a policy for themselves and the firefighters,” Walker said. “The policy covers them personally and everyone in each of their households.”

The Hamilton Township Trustees purchased 18 memberships at its meeting this past week.

A one-year membership costs as low as $65 and provides increased access to emergency trauma care to rural Americans via helicopter.

“Surviving a life-threatening medical emergency often depends on the amount of time it takes to deliver that patient to the emergency room,” Walker said. “Just $65 a year could save a person $25,000 in the event of an emergency. The most out-of-pocket expense is just your membership.”

Air Evac Lifeteam was established by a group of local citizens to provide air medical transportation and ensure access to emergency health care for their remote community in West Plains, in the Missouri Ozark region. Although air ambulances were primarily based in metropolitan areas at the time, the company founders believed that the people who needed air medical transport the most were those living in rural areas, often far away from a hospital.

Air Evac Lifeteam was started in 1985 has grown to be the largest independently owned and operated membership-supported air ambulance service in the United States, operating more than 100 bases across 15 states.

“We want to have a celebration for our anniversary with the community,” Walker said. “All our current members will be collective VIP guests because it’s the memberships that keep our doors open. Signing up is a win-win situation for us and the member and it helps keep a local business in operation.”

The date of the anniversary celebration is to be determined but Walker said it will likely take place at Air Evac’s hangar located at St. Mary’s-Ironton Campus.

To sign up or to inquire about a membership call Walker at 606-371-2820.