Spot A Fake Air Ambulance
Those people who work in our industry are some of the most well-trained and dedicated members of the medical and flight professions. We know because at Travel Care Air, we work with many of them. The air ambulance industry has seen rapid growth over the last three decades. With the advances of the internet it’s become even easier to promote your business.
But not all air ambulance services are the same. Unfortunately there are also frauds that you need to be aware of. Just last week a former California news helicopter pilot was sentenced to two years in federal prison because he lied to federal officials and was illegally flying air ambulance missions.
John Michael Dial worked under the name Thomas Cuni and made hundreds of flights between Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area from 2009 to 2012, according to the Associated Press. 63 times Dial flew medevac operations without a valid pilot’s certificate and was hired by an air ambulance service in New York state.
So how do you protect yourself and the needs of you or someone you love? Finding the right air ambulance takes research. While this is not a widespread problem in the industry, some air ambulance companies are better than others. Obviously, a company that is duped into hiring a fraud did not do proper research. But that doesn’t mean you can’t.
Finding legitimate air ambulance services should start online. Do a few similar keyword searches on Google, like international air ambulance, medical transport, etc. You will find a lot of company websites on the first few pages (like ours) but you will also find third party websites. Many reputable medevac companies will be listed on state department websites. If you need a domestic medevac you can find the United States by state. The United States Department of State has a list of air ambulance companies on its website here.
When you call a air ambulance company you should always feel comfortable talking to them and ask them pressing questions. No reputable company will ever try to hurry your call along. A reputable air ambulance company will always be glad to answer any questions about the planes they use, medical equipment they have, training of the staff and their certificates and licenses. Typically you can find a lot of the legal information like accreditation’s and licenses on their website.
If you need an air ambulance, for you or someone you know, research will help you avoid criminals like John Michael Dial. When it comes to the safety of you or a loved one in need, no medevac team cares more than Travel Care Air. We are always available to you to answer any questions you have about our services. We have a background check process to ensure our team is the best in the nation and even the world. For more information about our services please like us on Facebook.