Hometown helicopter to the rescue in Semo

The Poplar Bluff Museum tells many unknown tales of our community. I want to tell you some of those hidden tales found within the museum walls.

Air Evac Lifeteam has been supporting Butler County with an EMS Helicopter since 1985. The helicopter came from Cape Girardeau. It provided hospital transfers and emergency response to traffic and farm accidents. Since Poplar Bluff’s hospital was the busiest requestor for patient transfers, Air Evac stationed a helicopter in Poplar Bluff in 2002. Known as Air Evac 24 (AE24) it was based behind the Butler County fire station on the south end of town. When Air Evac added an airplane, both aircraft were moved to the airport. In 2018 the airplane was moved to another location and the helicopter relocated to the hospital. AE24 just recently celebrated 20 years of service in Poplar Bluff.

Having a local helicopter in town reduced the reaction time to minutes. Furthermore, when a vehicle accident involved a rollover, ejection or entrapment the aircraft launched automatically. If transport was deemed unnecessary, the helicopter would return to base with no one getting a bill. But if the first responders decided a helicopter was required, it would already be half way there if not on final approach.

This was possible due to Air Evac’s pre-paid membership program. Annual dues not only guaranteed a free helicopter transport but kept a helicopter in service in the community. Air Evac pioneered this program and now many other services have adopted it. EMS helicopters have flourished in southern Missouri. If AE24 is unavailable there are presently seven other helicopters that could respond in 30 minutes or less. When a school bus accident occurred near Ellington, the scene was swarmed by 12 helicopters in the middle of the night. Our community is well served by Air Evac and its competitors.

AE24 flies a smaller more efficient helicopter. It can land in tight spaces on the highways, farms and neighborhoods where other helicopters cannot. The aircraft is equipped with state of the art satellite navigation, auto-pilot and night vision. It has its limitations, such as when a large patient will not fit into the smaller aircraft. In that case the trauma nurse and medic will ride in the ambulance with the patient. Please note that the life saving treatment begins when the flight crew arrives, not at the hospital.

Besides its role in emergency services, AE24 is active in the community. It has gone on numerous search and rescue flights, damage assessment recons after local floods and mass casualty drills. It also appears at community and church gatherings, veteran events, Shop with a Hero, and has even been known to fly Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny to local schools. The flight crew is always eager to give tours of the aircraft and their facility. It is a true hometown helicopter. Next time you see someone in a blue flights suit be sure to say hello. If you or a family member was a patient, let them know how it turned out. They love to hear a happy ending.

A photograph of the first AE24 helicopter is on display in the Medical Room of the Poplar Bluff Museum. The first AE24 crew, Bob Knight, Mike Shane, Craig Jerimiah, Raymond Tanner and Cheri Morgan, are featured in a photo, along with the flight suit of AE24 Nurse Sherrie Newman.

The Museum is handicap accessible and open free of charge Sunday 1-4 p.m. at 1010 Main St. Tell them Mike sent you.

Mike Shane is a veteran, Poplar Bluff resident and board member for the Poplar Bluff Museum.