AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Pflugerville Fire Department (PFD) is augmenting its emergency response capabilities in northeast Travis County through a new partnership with Travis County’s Shock Trauma Air Rescue program (STAR Flight).
STAR Flight is an Austin-based program that uses Leonardo AW169 helicopters to respond to traumatic accidents, transport patients in need of specialized care, suppress wildfires and support law enforcement.
According to their mission profile, STAR Flight covers Travis and 19 other surrounding counties. With an average liftoff time of under 10 minutes, the program completed over 1,400 missions in 2023.
The program most recently expanded to Blanco County last year, announcing the construction of a new, more than $4 million dollar facility.
Pflugerville Fire Chief Nick Perkins said that “having a multi-mission aircraft stationed in the most rural part of our district means quicker medical response, stronger rescue capabilities and additional support during wildfire season. It is a win for both agencies and, most importantly, for the people we serve.”
A need for speed
The partnership marks a major development for rural emergency response in the county.
Having aircraft stationed in rural areas aims to overcome distance and terrain challenges faced by land response vehicles. Crews abroad the helicopters also train to respond in unpredictable environments including swift-moving water, high angles, and remote landscapes.
STAR Flight, specifically, stands out for it’s quick response times.
Unlike many air rescue programs across the country, where a helicopter is requested after emergency crews assess the scene, STAR Flight’s rapid response times can be attributed to the practice of simultaneous dispatch.
Classified as a “first-response Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance,” a helicopter may be called directly to a scene if it is estimated that it will take an ambulance more than 20 minutes to arrive on site, the website said.
Flying two miles a minute, the Leonardo AW169s will operate 12 hours a day, seven days a week from PFD Station No. 9 in Coupland, Texas.
Looking forward to the new partnership, STAR Flight Director of Aviation Operations Craig Hilzendager says the collaboration is “a clear example of how cooperation translates into safer communities.”
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