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Life Lion Critical Care

Life Lion Critical Care
23 Years of Service
We would like to thank all those in the EMS, Fire, and public safety communities for their continued support and hard work.

Every minute counts in the care of acutely ill and injured patients. Life Lion's Critical Care medical teams save not only precious time, but also deliver specialized care and treatment.  The Life Lion Critical Care flight team is comprised of a pilot, flight nurse and a flight paramedic.  The Life Lion Pediatric Critical Care Ambulance is staffed by an EMT driver, nurse and a paramedic.  On specialty transports such as organ transplant flights or neonatal transports, a specialty team may accompany the flight crew.  Each year, transport team members complete training in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Neonatal Resuscitation, and other skills required to care for critically ill and injured patients. 

Mission:  Life Lion Critical Care's purpose is to provide emergency medical care and transportation with an unyielding focus on safety and quality of care. Our services are available to all persons without regard to race, creed, sex, color, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, medical problem, handicap, or ability to pay.

Life Lion Critical Care Transport is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems.  The Commission offers voluntary evaluation of compliance with industry developed standards demonstrating the ability to deliver service of a specific quality with the two highest priorities being patient care and safety of the transport environment.

Jobs with Life Lion:  PennState Hershey Employment Website
  • Air Helicopter Transport
  • Critical Care Ground Transport
  • Request a Transport
  • Therapeutic Hypothermia (Provided for post-cardiac arrest patients, see link for details)
    • Transport Nurses

    Transport Paramedics

    		Pilots

    Communication Specialists

    Maintenance

    Administration

    Business Office/Program Manager
    717-531-7365/7029
     717-531-3878  (fax)    		Dispatch/Communication Center
     800-225-4837  or  717-531-7777 
     717-531-0861  (fax)
      
    Life Lion Critical Care Hanger - Hershey
    500 University Drive, MC HS88
    Hershey, PA  17033
     717-531-5879 
     717-531-7967     		Life Lion Critical Care - Carlisle
    228 Petersburg Road
    Hangar 15
    Carlisle, PA  17013
     717-243-8953 
     717-243-0254  (fax)  
      
    Public Relations/Outreach
     717-531-7056 

     Life Lion Critical Care E-mail address:
    lifelion@hmc.psu.edu

    Helicopter Statistics

    • We currently have two American Eurocopter AS365N3 models and one AS365N model, commonly known as a Dauphin helicopter.
    • Cruising speed = 180 mph
    • Gross weight = 9,400 pounds
    • Two jet turbine engines that produce 950 horsepower each
    • Capable of carrying up to 300 gallons (~3 hours) of fuel
    • Single pilot instrument flight rules rated all weather aircraft

    Types of Patients We Fly

    • A little less than 50% are accident/trauma victims from motor vehicle accidents, falls, industrial or farming accidents, hunting accidents or assaults.
    • Slightly more than 50% are transfers from one healthcare facility to another.  These patients are usually critically ill and are in need of higher level of care or specialty care that may not be available at the sending institution.

    Life Lion Critical Care Coverage Area

    • On-scene or accident reponse is normally within the 10 county south central Pennsylvania region.
    • We have traveled to all the states surrounding PA for inter-facility transports and regularly go to Philadelphia and Baltimore.  These transfers are at the discretion of the sending physician.

    Becoming a Life Lion Critical Care Pilot, Paramedic or Nurse

    • Our pilots are retired Coast Guard and/or Army and not one has been flying less than 20 years.  They all have earned many licenses and advanced certifications.
    • Our paramedics all have extensive backgrounds working in the pre-hospital environment.  They have received specialized training to prepare them to care for all types of critically ill patients that Life Lion Critical Care transports.  They must maintain a number of different certifications.
    • Our nurses are all PA Registered Nurses that have backgrounds working in intensive care units and/or emergency departments.  They are all certified as pre-hospital health professionals; this is a course that prepares the ICU/ED experienced RN to work outside of the hospital.  Most have also worked on ambulance/paramedic trucks sometime in their career.  They must maintain numerous different certifications.