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Working at STAR Flight is both exciting and challenging. Our unique mission profile creates a diverse and exciting environment to work in, but also places many demands and requirements on crews to remain skilled and proficient. Training is a continuous, year-round process for all STAR Flight crewmembers involving more than one hundred hours of training a year.

All of our medical crews are qualified as Helicopter Rescue Specialists (HRS). After several years of demonstrated competence in that capacity, individuals are eligible to become certified as a Crew Chief/Hoist Operator (HOP). STAR Flight Crew Chiefs are required to maintain qualification as both HRS and Crew Chief/HOP.

We are frequently asked, “What does it take to work at a place like STAR Flight?” Below is a partial list of the on-going/yearly requirements to maintain medical/rescue qualification:

  • Maintain state & system licensure as Registered Nurse and/or Paramedic
  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
  • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
  • National level Critical Care Transport certification – CFRN/FP-C/CCEMTP
  • Competency training in advanced practice skills such as invasive line monitoring, needle thoracotomies, intraosseous line insertion (adult/pediatric), and administration/monitoring of blood products
  • Advanced airway maneuvers (endotracheal intubation, nasotracheal intubation, surgical airway insertion) and Pharmaceutically-assisted intubation (aka. Rapid Sequence Intubation)
  • Use of ultrasound device to perform FAST exams
  • In-hospital clinical rotations to Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric ICU, Neonatal ICU, Operating Department – Anesthesiology, Special Procedures, Emergency Department, and Cardiac Cath Lab.

Ground Rescue Operations including:

  • Patient securing methods (high/low angle environments)
  • Search techniques
  • Moving/still water rescue
  • Basic in-water patient management

Demonstrated competency in following helicopter rescue modalities & skills (day & night):

  • Short-haul
  • Rescue swimmer water deployment
  • Rescue swimmer water skills (search, recovery, patient management)
  • In-water use of patient litter
  • In-water use of rescue strop
  • Ability to safely secure patients from water, trees, and high/low angle slopes

STAR Flight is committed to providing advanced medicine to any patient, anytime, anywhere. This requires an intensive training and education program.

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Charles Brotherton
County Executive

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TAX RATE: TRAVIS COUNTY ADOPTED A TAX RATE THAT WILL RAISE MORE TAXES FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS THAN LAST YEAR’S TAX RATE. THE TAX RATE WILL EFFECTIVELY BE RAISED BY 3.5 PERCENT AND WILL RAISE TAXES FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS ON A $100,000 HOME BY APPROXIMATELY $9.12.