Oregon Firm, Aero Air, Wins Five-Year Contract to Replace Evergreen Intl.

Dec. 17--Providence Alaska Medical Center's LifeGuard Alaska Emergency Air Transport has announced a new vendor for its fixed-wing flights. The contract begins in January.

Aero Air of Hillsboro, Ore., won the five-year contract with LifeGuard for two Lear 35 jets and a Beechcraft King Air, according to Tom Bailey, director of LifeGuard Alaska.

Aero Air won the contract with LifeGuard from Evergreen International Inc., which had been flying for the emergency transport service on a month-to-month contract since November 2005, according to Bailey.

LifeGuard Alaska has changed its vendor for fixed-wing service three times in the last 13 months.

Providence canceled its contract with Northwestern Arctic Air in November 2005 over maintenance issues and contracted with Evergreen to fly for its missions. Northwestern Arctic Air flew for LifeGuard for more than seven years.

Northwestern Arctic Air filed suit against LifeGuard over the cancellation of the contract, and has subsequently gone out of business.

Evergreen International did not return calls from the Journal about this story.

The Oregon-based company will hire 16 pilots from previous vendors, according to Bailey, to operate the contract in Alaska.

"All of these pilots have extensive experience here in Alaska and have been flying for LifeGuard with the other vendors," Bailey said.

Aero Air's management team is readying the company for the contract with frequent visits to Alaska.

"We are excited to get to work with Alaska's highest quality program," said Jeff Toboloski, operations manager for Aero Air. "We value this opportunity to provide service and value to LifeGuard Alaska."

Bailey said that Aero Air had leased aircraft to, and flown for, sister Providence hospitals in Oregon.

LifeGuard was the first emergency transport in Alaska to earn its commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems in July of 2000 with Northwestern Arctic Air as its provider.

LifeGuard Alaska was also awarded the 2005 Fixed Wing Award of Excellence by the Association of Air Medical Services in Austin, Texas, in October that year.

LifeGuard expected to have the first Lear 35 on hand in Alaska by Dec. 18, and is hoping for an open house later in December at Signature Flight Services South, where the aircraft will be hangared.

"These aircraft are new, from stem to stern," Bailey said. "They will have the LifeGuard's red color scheme and look outstanding."

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