Some Alamosa residents have recently expressed concerns over helicopter noise coming from San Luis Valley Health’s helipad.

As the Regional Director for Guardian Flight, a provider of air medical services in Alamosa, I want to acknowledge residents’ frustrations and apologize for any inconvenience caused.

Guardian Flight has operated a fixed-wing air medical base in Alamosa for the past 14 years, and in September, we added our first air medical helicopter to the region.

We understand that our aircraft operations in and around the San Luis Valley can cause disruption to local residents. We are, unfortunately, limited by the simple reality that helicopters make noise and that our pilots must follow all Federal Aviation Administration regulations regarding flight paths. However, we want to assure the community that every flight serves an important purpose.

The patients we transport to and from San Luis Valley Health and other regional hospitals require emergent and specialized care. When patients need critical transport because of life threatening injury or illness and ground transportation is not an option, doctors, nurses or first responders will request air medical services. In all cases, time is of the essence because minutes can mean the difference between life and death or permanent injury or disability when a patient has a severe health issue.

We recognize that addressing concerns over operational noise requires strong collaboration. We want to assure community members that we will continue to work with our partners in care at San Luis Valley Health and the San Luis Valley Airport teams to try and help mitigate noise issues.

We also want to welcome the opportunity to answer questions posed by the community and address residents’ comments and suggestions. We are incredibly proud to serve Alamosa and San Luis Valley residents and want to continue to be good stewards of our community. We appreciate your understanding and accommodation.

Sincerely

Theresa Hall

Regional Director

Guardian Flight