Communication Center

Life Flight's communication specialists are a critical part of our team. Communication Specialists receive their training from the National Association of Air-Medical Communication Specialists (NAACS). Training topics include:

• Flight Following: In order to insure that the aircraft location is always known, the Communication Specialists carefully follow each flight in case there is a transportation emergency during flight. If there is a problem, the Communication Specialists are able to use this information, obtained every 10-15 minutes for helicopters and 30-45 minutes for ground units, to pinpoint where the aircraft or ambulance should be and send help to them. The FAA ATCC (Air Traffic Control Center) follows our fixed-wing aircraft as they fly, in same manner as commercial airliners and must be in communication with them at all times during the flight.
• Medical Control: Life Flight is proud to provide our patients and referral physicians with a Medical Control Physician on each and every transport that we do. Life Flight has Control Physicians available 24/7 for all ages of patients. They are experts in their field and have also been additionally trained on the capabilities of Life Flight's equipment, aircraft, and teams. Life Flight's Control physicians are staff members at our base hospitals: LDS Hospital, Primary Children's Medical Center, McKay-Dee Hospital Center, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, and Dixie Regional Medical Center. This unique capability allows your patient to remain under the care of a highly qualified transport team working under the direction of a physician until arrival at the receiving facility instead of "standing orders" that many services operate with.
• Map-reading: Our communication specialists take calls for service in five states including: Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, Idaho, and Montana on a regular basis. They must have knowledge on reading maps to ensure that they know where the call is and can readily identify it for the flight crew going on the transport. This requires learning about GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) systems, distance and heading, elevation, local highways and interstates, and geographical locations (i.e. cities, summits, hospitals, airports, etc.).
• Weather: Communication specialists learn about how different types of weather and how it can affect the operation of aircraft and how weather can both help and hinder flight. Although they are trained in weather, all of Life Flight's transports are accepted or declined by the Pilot In Command (PIC). The PIC is extensively trained and experienced in weather and how it will affect his/her aircraft and that decision is always up to them. If a transport is declined due to weather, other arrangements can always be made.
• Communication: Life Flight communication specialists use multiple telephones, UHF, VHF, and 800 MHz radios, and several different paging systems to dispatch transports and receive incoming calls.

  If you have determined that your patient will require critical care transport by Life Flight, whether by air or ground, contact our Communication Center at 1-800-321-1911 and our communication specialists will activate the closest appropriate team with the most appropriate aircraft or vehicle.

  Our Communication Center can also conference you with both emergency department and critical care physicians in adult, pediatric, and neonatal specialty resource centers for consultation.

  • Hospital to Hospital - Referring doctor or designee should contact Life Flight Communications to request transport.
  • Scene to Hospital - Referring unit (i.e. police, fire, EMS, or other designated publicservant) should contact their respective dispatch center if possible to coordinate transport to avoid "double-dispatching" with another service.
  • Private citizen or physician - If you are a private citizen and feel you need Life Flight's services, immediately dial 911. If you call Life Flight, our Communication Center will conference you with the closest 911 communication center to ensure that you receive a prompt medical evaluation by your local EMS providers.

Intermountain Life Flight
250 North 2370 West
Salt Lake City, Utah 84116
Dispatch Telephone: (801) 321-1234
Operation Center Telephone: (801) 321-3330
Fax: (801) 321-3327
Email: robyn.campbell@intermountainmail.org