posted May 15, 2026

Emergency air medical base hosts event to commemorate milestone anniversary

SYLACAUGA, AL – May 14, 2026 – The Life Saver emergency air medical program commemorated 45 years of dedicated service to the people of Alabama with a heartfelt celebration held at their base in Sylacauga on Wednesday, May 13. The event brought together approximately 75 guests including healthcare partners, current and former crew members, patients and families who have been impacted by Life Saver’s critical care, and Dr. Robert Carraway who founded Life Saver as the state’s first air medical program.

“There was no manual [for starting an air medical program], we had to figure it out,” said Carraway, who started planning the program in the late 1970s. “The Lord said to me, ‘Save lives in Alabama,’ so those were my marching orders. I went out and hired the best pilots and clinicians and trained them to do lifesaving procedures in the grass and the dirt of rural Alabama. We took the trauma center to the patient.”

Guests got a close-up look at two of the program’s helicopters, enjoyed a catered lunch, and gained insight into what it takes to deliver critical care from the skies 24/7. They also got to hear from two former patients, including 21-year-old Collin Long who suffered a traumatic brain injury, a compound fracture of both the tibia and fibula in one leg, and broken ribs last summer when a Gator side-by-side he was a passenger in rolled at an Auburn golf course where he worked. He was intubated and received blood on the flight to UAB Hospital.

“I am forever grateful for Life Saver. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be in a position to know what I need to do to save other people,” said Long. “I was lost before this happened. Sometimes you have to go through tragedies to be able to see what you were put here for. I think God has kept me here to save other people, whether that’s through medicine or saving people’s souls through Jesus Christ, I think that’s my purpose.” Long plans on going to medical school after completing his bachelor’s degree.”

With rotor wing bases in Sylacauga, Cusseta, and Evergreen, along with their sister program, USA SouthFlight in Semmes, Life Saver provides a complete ecosystem of emergency air medical support across the state. Their flying ICUs provide interfacility transports when patients need to move from one hospital to another for specialized care. They also respond to scene calls to administer critical care for accident and trauma patients, as well as those suffering from hearts attacks, strokes, and other urgent medical needs, when every minute counts. Life Saver is part of Air Methods, the nation’s leading emergency air medical service provider.

“People tell us, ‘When I see Life Saver come in, I know I’m getting the best of the best,’” said Air Methods Area Manager Brent Wilson. “I want our original teammates from the 1980s to know that we are continuing that legacy of excellence. Even though a lot has changed over the years, we are still doing great things for our patients, and Air Methods has invested millions into technology and advancements in patient care.”

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.  

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Photos of the event are available here, courtesy of Air Methods:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8uTLou2hiJrXd5of6