The public is invited to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house event on Monday, June 3, 2024 to celebrate the recent completion of the new Dare MedFlight Hangar (EMS Station 7) on Roanoke Island.
The ribbon cutting ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, an open house will be held until 6 p.m. at the facility, which is located at 1078 Driftwood Drive in Manteo.
During the open house, attendees will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours of the new 14,320-square-foot hangar for the Dare MedFlight helicopter, as well as the newly constructed onsite sleeping quarters, workspaces and kitchen for MedFlight crew members.
The open house portion of this event will also include:
- MedFlight helicopter and ambulance displays
- Safety equipment overviews
- A “Night Vision Goggle Experience” room
- “Stop the Bleed” training
- “Hands Only” CPR training
- Free blood pressure checks with Dare County EMS staff members
- Cornhole and other children’s activities
- Light refreshments
About Dare MedFlight:
Dare MedFlight first began operating in Dare County in 1975 in an effort to ensure that all levels of medical care are accessible to residents and visitors of the Outer Banks, including rapid critical care services for patients experiencing trauma, heart attacks, burns and strokes. For nearly 50 years, Dare County has been recognized as a pioneer in providing innovative aeromedical transport services through the use of Dare MedFlight, which is one of only three county-owned primary mission aeromedical operations that exist in the entire nation.
The state-of-the-art helicopter—which represents the vision and dedication of the Dare County Board of Commissioners to provide rapid medical transportation for residents and visitors—is an Airbus H-145 that is operated by a highly skilled rotating staff of five pilots, two full-time mechanics and 12 flight paramedics. During each patient transport flight, the helicopter typically carries one pilot, two paramedics and one patient. On average, Dare MedFlight transports one patient a day, although seasonal fluctuations often occur, with the helicopter frequently flying three or four missions each day during the summer months.
By providing patients with access to the Dare MedFlight helicopter, Dare County EMS is able to drastically reduce transport times for those who are in critical need of rapid transportation for time-sensitive treatments and to help significantly improve the outcome for those patients who are transported from Dare County to a medical facility outside of the area.
The construction of a new hangar for Dare MedFlight is part of a multiphase project to improve and modernize outdated Dare County EMS facilities throughout the county in order to better serve the residents and visitors of our community. For more detailed information about these projects, click here.
