Guardian Flight hosting meet and greet

The public is invited to the Thermopolis Fire Department on Wednesday, Oct. 25 to meet the Guardian Flight crews.

Matt Strauss, the Guardian Flight program director, said the event is designed for people to get to know the crew a little bit and get the community involved, as well as demonstrate how their aircraft operate. Additionally, Strauss said, it provides the opportunity to let people know Guardian Flight will still continue to provide its services here and create relationships with local hospitals.

Guardian Flight recently took over operations at the REACH Air Medical Services base in Cody. Guardian currently operates four other bases in Wyoming, including: Gillette — Medical Plane; Worland — Medical Plane; Riverton — Medical Helicopter; and Lander — Medical Plane.

Strauss said there is no Guardian Flight aircraft housed at the Thermopolis airport, though there are crew sleeping quarters provided there. Guardian Flight, he said, could be called in the event of a car wreck, any sort of trauma, cardiac, stroke, pediatrics or any number of medical illnesses.

The service has been flying in Wyoming for seven years. Regarding specific areas, it has been servicing the Worland area, including Thermopolis, for two years and the Riverton area for three. Regarding the number of calls seen from Thermopolis, Strauss said they generally see five or six a month, quite low compared to the average 30-40 calls in other areas.

Strauss noted Thermopolis utilizes other services as well, such as those provided through Wyoming Medical Center.

The Oct. 25 meet and greet will be 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the fire hall, 400 South 14th Street. Hot dogs, brats, chips and drinks will be served. There will also be information about AirMed Care membership.