[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 117 (Tuesday, September 17, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1589]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        PAYING TRIBUTE TO ST. ANTHONY HOSPITALS' FLIGHT FOR LIFE

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                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 17, 2002

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an 
outstanding organization that continuously renders emergency medical 
aid at a moments notice. The St. Anthony Hospitals' Flight for Life 
program based in Denver, Colorado has saved thousands of lives since 
its inception. It is with great pleasure I stand and honor these 
courageous men and women who are so willingly dedicate their lives to 
help those in crisis.
  Founded in 1972, Flight for Life was the first civilian emergency air 
ambulance in the nation. Some 200 air ambulance programs all over the 
world have since patterned their emergency response units after Flight 
for Life's excellence. This commendable program serves the people of 
Colorado and eight surrounding states, and its members have registered 
over 65,000 missions in the first 30 years of service. Over its 
history, Flight for Life's crews responded to the 1976 gondola accident 
in Vail, Colorado; the 1985 Keystone Teller Lift collapse; and the 
Columbine High School shootings in 2000, among the thousands of 
missions flown. Medical missions have taken them to 40 states as well 
as Canada, Mexico, and Costa Rica.
  In order to meet each challenge, Flight for Life maintains an elite 
core of medical professionals and pilots; each one with specialized 
experience and that allows them to react professionally to any life-
threatening experience in a variety of environments. To help in that 
mission, the program also maintains a mountain base outside the Denver 
Metro area, the highest medical helicopter base in the country, at the 
Summit Medical Center in Frisco, Colorado. From there, they operate a 
specialized avalanche rescue team and often help transport search teams 
to the scene. With so many professions ready to respond to any 
emergency situation, Flight for Life continues to stand out as a leader 
in emergency response excellence.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand today to pay tribute to the men and women of 
this organization before this body of Congress and this nation. The 
Flight for Life program has raised the bar for emergency response 
throughout the world. These courageous professionals have served the 
people of this nation with distinction for 30 years and deserve our 
praise.

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