how many aircraft do they have now? Are they all S-76's? Does Air Methods run it or do they have their own certificate?

This only took 3 sec to find out! Man some people are either wicked lazy or lust like to see their own post!

https://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/922/Trauma-Star-Air-Ambulance

 ;

charge to transport? yup.

Air Ambulance service is not a ground ambulance, which, by the way, in Monroe County, is restricted by Monroe County, creating a mon0poly.  Same is true for the aviation air ambulance, making it an UNFAIR COMPETITION

"Air Ambulance service is not a ground ambulance"

you got me there. checkmate lol

"A money maker for the county"?  Last I checked, their rates were $12,000 lift, $100 per loaded mile.  They utilize S-76s, which are not inexpensive to operate.   AMC's charges with a Bell 407: $50K base and $655/mile.  AEL, using a 1980 Bell 206, charged $42K and $425/mile.  

A county is a tax collecting government entity, who collects TAXES to operate.   Any revenue it generates outside of taxes is a money maker for the county.

It is using public aircraft (aircraft funded by the tax payers) in a commercial operation (supplemented by the tax payers) now in direct competition against other Air Ambulance operators who do not have the luxury of a tax base!

UNFAIR COMPETITION!   And, MONOPOLISTIC practices!

Mad you can't gouge dying people?

for them!

Trauma Star Operates in the Black

Trauma Star is operating in the black despite no out-of-pocket costs for County Residents. The program’s operational cost was $6.6 million for Fiscal Year 2018. With an aggressive in-house collection program, Trauma Star has collected $7.9 million. In FY 2017, Trauma Star also operated in the black with $5.6 million in revenues and $4.7 million in operation costs

They aggressively bill non residents, and collect tax payers money to boot!

It's a cash cow for the county and an UNFAIR COMPETITION for those in HAA air commerce!  They are operating public aircraft in air commerce!

 Do you live in that County? If not JSTU Karen!!

Aren't ALL medical businesses in it to make $$$ or are you one of those DemoNcRats that's wants tax payers to pay for everything??

the link does not answer a single one of the op's questions. lol

No not run by AMC and AMC was run out many years ago. County has their own certificate.  Soon replacing their S76 for AW 139 aircraft.  Expensive to live anywhere they have bases.  Highest living in the US and especially key west.  Pay sux.  Like $82k - year.  Unless you have supplemental pay (retirement ) you won't pay your bills there 

They do the same thing here in LA County, Ventura, etc, all corner the markets and keep everyone else out.

Then complain when the service is bad, so they get bigger and bigger aircraft. Kind of like flying an Puma for Sheriff's work, really???

These kind of places run to protect their own, it's not whats best for the community.  It's all about the government and what they can control and take control of.

The Brother hood must stick together.

if the drop the 14 CFR 135 they'll do what NJSP has done for decades. BTW NJ was a closed state for decades too until some retired NJSP liots used a loop hole to allow comercial operator to be based there.

 Getting AW139's will not allow them to be operating in the black when warranty runs out & their down time will go up due to crappy pproduct & product support too.🤣🚁

would you rather pay a $75,000 bill to AMC or not get any bill. 

this is the way.

Would I rather pay $75,000 to AMC??   Well, not when I don't use its services!   Which is what you are asking tax payers to pay for when they don't use that service, but are collectively covering the $100,000 bill of someone else!

They falsehood is the "no out of pocket expenses"!   BS.   Taxes are out-of-pocket expenses.  And, when the county gets that tax revenue, and then ALSO charges the insurance companies, those insurance rates are affected.   Yours and mine.   So, someone in Georgia is helping to fund the Monroe County aviation department because not only is Monroe County funding their operation entirely on taxation, but they are collecting gravy cash from the insurance companies while falsely claiming its a "no out of pocket to you" benefit!

UNFAIR COMPETITION!   MON0POLY POWERS!   GOVERNMENT RUNNING A COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE IN DIRECT COMPETITION WITH COMMERCIAL OPERATORS IT ALSO REGULATES.

Monroe county and its citizens and visitors are far better off because of it. Thank you Monroe county for getting this dumpster of a company called air methods out of here

All of those freeloaders using roads you're paying for, it's not like you're driving them all day every day it's a waste of money. And those dang firefighters, whens the last time YOUR house was on fire? Screw 'em, just quit paying.

How can citizens vote in them becomeing a commercial operation in their county??  When they are a government entity?

The more you try to explain it, the more corrupt it reveals itself to be!

Monroe County bill non-residents just like any other HAA operator!  They have the mon0poly, and are using it to nudge out any competition!

Where do you think federal and state grant money comes from?

is that taxpayers that don't live in Monroe county are funding their roads? Just quit paying taxes dude.

So, local residents don't get any 'out of pocket' bills, but non-residents get billed, even though they help pay for Monroe County government things!

It is an entire tax base that funds the operating costs of Trauma Star, but only local's are reaping the benefit.   If I live in Georgia and go to the Keys and rent a house for two weeks, I am paying for the taxes in my rent, but DON'T have the same "no-out-of-pocket" benefit as someone local.   That is an unfair taxation then!

You called someone a "freeloader" for driving on roads in Monroe County, but they are helping to fund Trauma Star from their rent money paid, hotel taxes paid, gas taxes paid, etc.  It goes to a taxing authority called Monroe County!!

No commerical HAA operator has such a MON0P0LISTIC special revenue generating ability!

I'd rather it cost five times as much and all that money go straight into Jaelynn's pockets instead of back into the community.

Don't you have a base to close down somewhere?

amc also charges insurance companies bro, so it affects rates either way. yes, I am asking tax payers to cover the cost of the bill. just like the roads when you don't own a car or the schools when you don't have children.

think of the government as an insurance company with an army. 

this is the way.

Suppose AMC sent you a bill in the mail for $5.00 out of the blue and told you if you don't pay it, they will put a lien on your home and seek to forclose it due to not paying??

Miami Dade does not bill insurance companies and were told by the FAA they cannot!   Lee County's program was shut down because it was billing insurance companies.   They operated public aircraft as well.

There is a HUGE economical advantage to being a government entity operating public aircraft (bought and paid for by tax payers) and also being a commercial operator in direct competition with other certificate holders, be it non-profits or for-profits.   They are a government operator collecting tax revenues to cover their costs.  They should not ALSO collect insurance money as a source of revenue, period!  They are double dipping!

all EMS to be publicly operated. we found common ground bro lol

you applied & didn't get the position😫 hence another libtard Karen whining about not getting what you wanted! Suck it up T1T Baby!🚁

give it arest jeezus!! we get it you're butt hurt because they wouldn't hire you! America is still not completely a dictatorship, If you choose to live there then you have to live by their rules, if not JSTFU already!!!

Monroe County Trauma Star has mon0polized their county, chasing away any and all competition!

It was to allow neighboring counties to share costs of aviation resources that Part 91 and public operations prevented.

For instance, one county had a mosquito control helicotper they didn't use 100% of the time.  The neighboring county asked if the first county would spray for mosquitoes too.   Problem was, they couldn't legally get compensatated for the aerial application.   So, they lobbied for a change in the definition of "public aircraft" and got it.

Suddenly, the loophole was created that now allows the county flying mosquito control to have a Part 135 certificate and compete as a commercial operator in air commerce with their public aircraft, simply because they don't call it public aircraft anymore.

Taxpayers fund the entire operating costs, an advantage the operator has over legitimate commercial operators, and now they have an ability to charge third party insurance companies for costs that float over their tax revenues.

It went from a cost sharing endeavor with an adjacent government entity to being a mon0polized commercial air ambulance authority using public aircraft!

geeez......longest post and threads I have seen on here in a long time about nothing...its a county run program period....low pay period..

yet YOU continue to make it longer 🙄