Sister bases Native Air 29 and Lifeguard 4 join forces to commemorate milestone 

CARLSBAD, NM – April 24, 2025 – With a mission to provide the people of southeastern New Mexico with lifesaving emergency air medical service, Native Air established a helicopter base and Lifeguard brought fixed wing airplane service to Carlsbad 20 years ago. On April 22, the sister bases came together at Carlsbad Medical Center to celebrate two decades of care to the community. 

Approximately 80 guests attended the event, including representatives from Carlsbad Medical Center, Carlsbad Fire Department, Carlsbad Police Department, and Carlsbad Police Department Dispatch. The attendees heard from Carlsbad Medical Center CEO Nick Arledge and Air Methods Regional Sales Director Jim Burt, who reflected on the long-standing partnership and the lives saved over the past two decades. Guests also had the opportunity to tour the Native Air helicopter and connect with the flight crews who serve the region 24/7.  

“When I think about doing good within a community, there’s no group of people in my mind that do more of that than the frontline people with Native Air and Lifeguard,” said Arledge. “Even within this room, as you look around, there are people who’ve flown and had family members whose lives were saved. And that’s just a part of what you guys do. It really is a very pure profession. We’re very grateful to all of you.” 

Native Air and Lifeguard are part of Air Methods, the leading air medical provider in the United States. Along with their sister bases in Roswell, Alamogordo, Deming, Las Cruces, and Silver City, they provide a complete ecosystem of emergency air medical support across southern New Mexico. Their flying ICUs carry industry-leading clinicians who are trained to provide critical care to patients suffering from trauma due to accidents, cardiac and stroke events, high-risk obstetric emergencies, and more. They carry whole blood on board and can administer it in flight. 

“We really appreciate the sense of community in Carlsbad and the partnerships we have built over the past 20 years with the different EMS agencies in the area and with Carlsbad Medical Center,” said Jim Burt, regional sales director with Air Methods. “We are grateful to everyone who came to celebrate with us today and look forward to continuing these relationships for the next 20 years.” 

Air Methods is committed to providing air medical services to all members of the communities it serves and is in-network with most major health insurance providers across the country for emergency air medical services. Additionally, their patient advocacy program works with all patients, regardless of insurance, to ensure affordability while making pre-paid air medical membership unnecessary.