FAA AWARDS AIR EVAC LIFETEAM ITS SEVENTH-CONSECUTIVE DIAMOND CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE

The FAA has awarded Air Evac Lifeteam the Diamond Certificate of Excellence for the seventh-consecutive year. The honor is bestowed upon companies that have 100-percent employee participation in the Aviation Maintenance Technician Awards program.

“This award speaks to the dedication, training and skill level of our aviation maintenance technicians,” says Dennis Cleaves, senior director of maintenance at Air Evac. “Having 100-percent participation shows strong commitment from our company. This training is not required. It’s completely optional. It’s a bigger commitment of time, resources and money that the company feels is necessary, and we get a big return on our investment. We have better, well-rounded maintenance aviation technicians.”

Jim Lane, aviation maintenance training manager for Air Evac Lifeteam, says each maintenance technician must earn a minimum of 12 hours of eligible aviation maintenance training.

“There are 75 aviation maintenance technicians in our repair station,” says Lane. “Many of our employees go above the 12 hours; that is just the minimum number of hours required to qualify for the award.”

Cleaves says reaching for and earning the Diamond Certificate of Excellence is raising the bar to a higher level, and the FAA recognizes that.

“We are proud to be able to do this for our employees, and we’re proud of the aviation maintenance technicians in our repair station for their accomplishments,” he says.

Air Evac Lifeteam, based in O’Fallon, MO, provides emergency healthcare and rapid medical transport to patients throughout the central United States, operating 111 air ambulance bases in 15 states. The company is the largest independently-owned and operated membership-based air ambulance service in the United States.

For more information about Air Evac Lifeteam services, call 1-800-793-0010 or visit www.lifeteam.net.