SkyLife Air Ambulance Celebrates 35 Years of Lifesaving Service

Event commemorates decades of serving California communities

FRESNO, CA - May 23, 2026 - The SkyLife Air Ambulance program celebrated 35 years of lifesaving service to communities across Central California during an anniversary BBQ and National EMS Week celebration held May 22 at the SkyLife base in Fresno. The event welcomed first responders, hospital partners, requestors, and former patients to recognize the program's legacy of emergency medical care and transport throughout Central California.

As part of the celebration, former patients stopped by to thank the crews and share their recovery stories. One of those patients was 21-year-old Will Garrison, who credited SkyLife with helping save his life following a vehicle crash in the fall of 2023.

Garrison was driving to visit a friend when he lost control of his vehicle and struck a tree head-on at high speed. SkyLife crews responded and transported him for critical care treatment after he sustained multiple traumatic injuries. After spending months wheelchair-bound during recovery, Garrison has since fully recovered and is now pursuing a career as a paramedic with hopes of one day becoming a flight paramedic with SkyLife.

"I'm incredibly thankful for the care and transport SkyLife provided that day. I was in critical condition after the crash, and I truly believe the team's expertise and rapid transport to a trauma center played a major role in my recovery," said Garrison. "While I had already planned to pursue a career in EMS, the SkyLife crew inspired me to become a flight paramedic. My hope is to one day work alongside the same team that helped save my life."

The anniversary also highlighted the program's rich history and evolution over the last three and a half decades. Originally launched in 1991 to fill a critical gap in air medical services across the region, the program initially operated under the name "Airlift for Life." At the time, the only air resource available in the area was the California Highway Patrol helicopter, which did not provide interfacility patient transfers. Following a community naming contest, the program officially became known as "SkyLife of Central California."

Today, SkyLife Air Ambulance provides rapid-response air medical transport for emergency and trauma situations, as well as interfacility transfers for patients requiring specialized care at another hospital. Each base operates advanced aircraft equipped with industry-leading medical equipment, medications, and specialty tools designed to deliver ICU-level care in flight. Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS), SkyLife adheres to the industry's highest standards in safety and clinical excellence and provides lifesaving services without requiring a membership to avoid a costly bill.

Long-time Flight Nurse Dave Sanbongi reflected on the tremendous growth and advancements the program has experienced since he joined SkyLife in 1999.

"When I started, there was one base in Fresno operating out of a small building adjacent to the current base," Sanbongi said. "Back then, we didn't have night vision goggles, satellite tracking, or many of the safety technologies we rely on today. We carried pocket-sized protocol books, used pagers for call alerts, and finding scenes in remote areas could be extremely challenging. Seeing how far the program has come makes me appreciate all the technology and safety initiatives we have today."

Sanbongi said his original plan was to spend only 10 years as a flight nurse before returning to EMS full time, but his passion for flight medicine kept him with the program for more than 27 years.

"Lisa Epps has been my boss for most of my SkyLife career, and she's also a reason I've been doing it so long," he said. "I tell everyone it's the best job in all of nursing. The autonomy, the training, and the opportunity to care for patients in critical moments are incredibly rewarding. Being at SkyLife has been such a big part of my life."

Epps was one of the program's three original flight nurses and served as SkyLife's longest-tenured teammate for nearly 35 years. She retired last fall from Air Methods, the nation's leading air medical provider and SkyLife's parent company, after decades of extraordinary service, leadership, and clinical excellence in the air medical industry.

The SkyLife anniversary celebration served not only as a milestone for the program but also as an opportunity to thank the first responders, healthcare partners, and communities who have supported SkyLife throughout its history. For 35 years, SkyLife Air Ambulance has remained committed to providing rapid, high-quality air medical transport and critical care to patients and will continue for years to come.