Trauma Star, Monroe County’s only air ambulance service, was down a helicopter for roughly three months after an inspection found some corrosion toward the tail area.
As a result, Trauma Star operated with one chopper transporting Keys patients needing critical care to hospitals.
Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay, who oversees the pilots and mechanics for Trauma Star, said they weren’t going to risk flying the helicopter due to the corrosion issues found during a three-year inspection. He said the helicopter underwent structural repairs and should be up in the air as soon as next week.
“At the end of the day we’re trying to manage an older fleet,” Ramsay said, who said just getting the repairs to a Central Florida service was a process. There was plenty of disassembly involved. A crane and a truck were needed to get the part transported for repairs. Now the reassembly is underway.
Trauma Star’s Sikorsky S76 helicopters have logged plenty of hours transporting patients over the years, while battling a salty environment conducive to corrosion. In addition, parts and support are increasingly hard to find for the program’s fleet. Ramsay said the helicopters are more than 20 years old.
“We fly 1,000 flights a year,” Ramsay said. “On top of that, we’ve had some difficult and unusual weather circumstances with thunderstorms and fog grounding the helicopters this year.”
The old fleet will soon be replaced with three new choppers scheduled to arrive this year. A deal was signed in October 2023 to purchase three brand-new Leonardo AW139 twin-engine helicopters. Ramsay recommended the new choppers to county commissioners and touted them as a model fitting Trauma Star’s requirements for range, speed and lift capabilities, plus continued manufacturer support for a common airframe. Commissioners ultimately approved the $52 million purchase. The new helicopters are funded by Monroe County’s infrastructure fund generated from a one-cent sales tax.
Ramsay said the first of three new helicopters should arrive in roughly a month, with the next two coming sometime in June or July. Pilots and mechanics will need to undergo training on the new choppers. They will also need to be outfitted with medical equipment. And EMS personnel, too, will need training.
The Trauma Star program is a partnership between the sheriff’s office and Monroe County Fire Rescue, operating out of the Marathon International Airport and Lower Keys Medical Center. With the sheriff’s office overseeing the pilots and mechanics, the flight nurses and flight paramedics are staffed by fire rescue.
“There will be a little transition time,” Ramsay said, adding the first new helicopter will operate out of the airport in Marathon when ready.
The life-saving service is provided free to residents and property owners of Monroe County.
