KALISPELL — Logan Heath’s A.L.E.R.T. medical flight program has provided lifesaving emergency care in Northwest Montana for 50 years.
“It’s a lot of pride, a lot of pride, this team is second to none,” said A.L.E.R.T. Pilot Daron Larsen.
Larsen has flown helicopters for A.L.E.R.T. for the last 11 years and has piloted hundreds of rescue missions across Western Montana.
“One minute we might be hoping over to Libby to do a transfer patient back here, the next minute you might get a call to Glacier National Park, you might get back from that and then down to Missoula or something in that fashion,” said Larsen.
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Since its inception in 1975, the A.L.E.R.T. medical flight program has flown more than 20,000 emergency calls.
“That is the purpose of A.L.E.R.T. and has been for these 50 years, is to go wherever they are called to,” said A.L.E.R.T. Director Rich Mickelson.
Mickelson told MTN the program has helped save thousands of lives over the last 50 years.
“Wherever the need is to basically improve patient outcomes, get them to definitive care as soon as we can, that’s the whole purpose of what we do,” said Mickelson.
A.L.E.R.T. relies on community fundraising to update equipment and resources.
Logan Health is hosting a banquet in Kalispell at the Flathead County Fairgrounds on Saturday, April 26, with all proceeds going directly to A.L.E.R.T.
“Speaks volumes to the commitment, not only the team that has comprised A.L.E.R.T. over these 50 years, but then the ongoing support from the community,” said Mickelson.
Larsen said there’s no better feeling than flying a patient home safely.
“It means a lot, it means a whole lot, you know you get a thank you from a patient or a patient that might send you a letter or something like that, it means a whole lot.”
The A.L.E.R.T. Banquet is open to the public, tickets can be purchased here.
