Aeromedical Services

Emergency Air Transport for Orcas Island

Serious medical emergencies may require rapid transport to definitive care. Three certified air medical companies serve San Juan County. Each provides critical care transport with qualified emergency medical crews.

Our Air Medical Partners

Airlift Northwest (ALNW)

  • Primarily helicopter service with airplane fleet

  • Based along Washington's western coast (closest: Bellingham and Arlington)

  • Long-standing service provider to San Juan County

Island Air Ambulance (IAA)

  • Fixed-wing airplane service

  • Based in Friday Harbor

  • Local provider with deep community ties

Life Flight Network (LFN)

  • Helicopter service from Coupeville and Port Angeles

  • Well-established company recently expanded to our area

  • Mission focused on industry-leading care and transport

Why We Recommend All Three Services

Weather is unpredictable. Wind, icing, fog, and other conditions determine which aircraft can safely land and take off from Orcas Island. Different weather patterns may also affect which mainland hospital is accessible.

Aircraft availability varies. When crews are already transporting other patients and you need immediate care, the closest available resource responds to your emergency.

All provide the same level of care. Each company meets identical certification standards and can transport critical and trauma patients with equal expertise.

Our Strong Recommendation: Join All Three

OIFR strongly recommends purchasing memberships with all three air medical services. Since you cannot predict which company will respond to your emergency, membership in all three protects you from out-of-pocket costs regardless of circumstances.

Learn More About Memberships

Airlift Northwest
Visit Airlift Northwest to learn about their AirCare membership program, designed to provide high-quality air medical service at affordable cost for Washington residents.

Island Air Ambulance
Learn about Island Air Ambulance membership to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for air medical evacuation. Their medically configured aircraft provide the highest quality in-flight care.

Life Flight Network
Visit Life Flight Network to discover their membership options. Their mission centers on saving lives with industry-leading care and transport, guided by values of safety, customer service, excellence, compassion, and social justice.

Peace of Mind for Island Living

Air medical transport can be expensive without membership coverage. Protecting yourself and your family with memberships in all three services ensures you're covered no matter which company responds to your emergency.