New Helicopter Joins Teddy Bear Transport

American Eurocopter Wednesday announced the delivery of a state-of-the-art EC145 to Cook Children's Medical Center. The new EC145 will join Teddy Bear Transport services that also includes ambulance and fixed-wing airplane transport. The program's first helicopter entered service in 2004, and the new EC145 will upgrade the fleet and allow Teddy Bear Transport to continue its mission of providing critical care services to the children of Texas and surrounding areas.

"The EC145's combination of size, performance and advanced technologies has made it the platform of choice for a growing number of EMS operators in the United States and around the world," said Marc Paganini, President and CEO of American Eurocopter. "We respect Cook Children's and the industry-leading care they provide to our community. We are very pleased that they have chosen the EC145 and we look forward to working with them and supporting them in their service of our community."

Cook Children's has a long-standing tradition of improving the health status of our community's children by providing care exclusively for the needs of children. It is nationally recognized as one of the top children's hospitals in the United States and it is supported by one of the largest pediatric transport programs in the nation, known as Teddy Bear Transport. About 2,000 children are transported to Cook Children's annually, most for critical care.

"The safety of our patients and our crew is our top priority," said Jack Sosebee, Program Director, Cook Children's Teddy Bear Transport. "Our choice of the EC145 came after an exhaustive evaluation process involving the top helicopter companies in the world. We were looking for a helicopter that provides the right amount of performance, safety features, cabin size and state-of-the-art technology. The EC145 was the clear winner."

The aircraft is offered in single pilot IFR and dual pilot IFR configurations. Both options are equipped with the modern MEGHAS glass cockpit and digital autopilot, which can greatly reduce pilot workload. Cook Children's EC145 will be completed by Air Methods, where it will be outfitted with the latest equipment and safety features. It is expected to enter into service later this year.

"We are excited to get the EC145 into service. It loads like a regular ambulance and its size allows better access to our patients. The cabin size also helps to ensure that we can usually bring a parent along during the flight, which is a benefit that can not be measured," continues Sosebee.

Cook Children's Teddy Bear Transport serves the Dallas, Fort Worth and surrounding areas, and was the first Texas neonatal transport service asked by the State of Texas to assist with Hurricane Rita evacuees in September 2005.

A celebration will be held honoring the event at American Eurocopter's delivery center located at the company's headquarters in Grand Prairie, Texas, on Friday beginning at 9:30 a.m. VIPs from both Cook Children's and American Eurocopter will be on hand for the event.

FMI: www.eurocopterusa.com, www.cookchildrens.org