Price to fill up medical helicopters soaring

11pm story introduction:

As the price to fill up our tanks with gas continues to soar, the cost to fuel Carilion's Life-Guards 10 and 11 is also soaring.

Fortunately, no matter how high fuel gets Carilion Life-Guard will keep running.

Just to put the price in perspective, back in 2005, Carilion tells us the price to fill up was $2.08 a gallon.

It would cost $20,800 to fill up the entire underground tank at the base in Roanoke and $624 to fill up the tank in Life-Guard 10.

Now as you can imagine, the price has more than doubled in three years. In fact, a gallon of gas for the helicopters is 123% more expensive.

10 On Your Side's Angela Hatcher with the ways Cailion is trying to save on gas so that the cost won't be passed onto to patients.

11pm story text:

Flying overhead, on its way to save a life, Carilion Life-Guard 10, "Burns about a 100 gallons an hour.", says Susan Smith.

So when it lands, the helicopter's 300 gallon tank is always topped off before the next take off. Right now at $4.65 at gallon, a fill up is nearly $1,400.

"I'm standing right on top of what some would consider a liquid gold mine, $46,500 worth of jet fuel is down below in a 10,000 gallon tank.", says Angela Hatcher while standing above the tank.

"We obviously get a big bulk discount when we purchase it several thousand gallons into a tank versus a little bit at each airport that we stop at.", says Smith.

It's about seven bucks a gallon at other airports and hospitals. To keep from passing high fuel prices on to patients, Life-Guard's Susan Smith says Carilion will add another tank for the second chopper Life-Guard 11.

"Either of the Life-Guard helicopters can fill up at either of the bases. Whether they're in Roanoke or in Radford, they'll have that advantage to get that bulk discount rate every time they need to fill up in the service area.", says Smith. "We have no indications that we'll need to raise our rates as of yet."

In the air, they have no choice but to take the most fuel efficient route.

"We're looking for the quickest most direct route to get the patient from A to B." , says Smith.

It's never a question of saving lives or saving money.

"We don't take any of this into consideration.", says Smith. "Carilion Clinic is committed to this service as a community service."

Whatever the cost, running on fumes is never an option.

11pm newsroom tag:

Carilion was paying $3.35 at the beginning of this year. So the price has jumped 43% in just the last six months.

With its smaller 187 gallon tank, they can fill up Life-Guard 11 for just under $900.