CommonSpirit Health is proposing a new design for its Flight for Life helicopters and other emergency transport vehicles. But some Colorado residents who like the helicopters’ current orange design are pushing back.
CommonSpirit announced in a news release that over the next couple years it will be phasing in a new pink-purple gradient design to Flight for Life's six helicopters, seven ambulances and three airplanes that operate out of the Denver metro area, Summit County, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Fort Morgan and Durango.
Flight for Life transports patients across several states in the Rocky Mountain region and assists in search and rescue missions, including providing aerial search support and avalanche deployment, the release states.
“While colors may be changing, one thing will remain constant: the unwavering commitment of our Flight for Life crews to deliver the highest standard of care to our patients,” CommonSpirit Mountain Region President Andrew Gaasch said in a statement.
But some Colorado residents have signed onto an online petition on Change.org that asks Flight for Life to maintain its traditional orange colors. Flight for Life's “orange helicopters, airplanes, and ambulances are a beacon of hope on the worst day of people's lives and iconic in Colorado,” the Keep Flight for Life Orange petition states. The online petition had received just over 6,000 signatures as of Wednesday.
In an email statement, CommonSpirit spokeswoman Lindsay Radford said that safety will remain the top priority for Flight for Life vehicles as the changes to vehicle designs are implemented. CommonSpirit has been intentional about applying the brand’s colors in a way that makes the aircraft easily visible to other pilots and quickly recognizable from the ground, Radford said.
“While orange is an easily noticeable color, there are times, specifically at sunrise and sunset, when an orange helicopter may not be as visible in the sky as our new color gradient,” Radford said. “Flight for Life leaders consulted on the new design, and were committed to a color-saturated graphic that would ensure the utmost safety for our crews, patients and communities.”
To minimize service disruptions the new design will be phased in with the ambulance fleet being rebranded this spring and the helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft being transitioned to the new colors in the fall, the release states.
Only one helicopter will be out of service at a time for about two months per aircraft to ensure there are no interruptions in service, Radford said. While each of the six main helicopters is out of service, its base will be covered by a reserve helicopter, she said. An eight-person helicopter will also reportedly be added to the fleet this summer.
Flight for Life has sufficient funding to make upgrades to the aircraft and obtain needed equipment, and rebranding costs will not affect those efforts, Radford said. Flight for Life also continues to attract top candidates for its flight crews and to keep the vehicles staffed, she said, adding, “ultimately our people – the flight crews and the staff who support them are the essential elements for Flight for Life.”
“We recognize the significance of this visual change to a service that has been a part of our communities for more than 50 years,” Radford said. “While we have heard from many who are supportive and excited, we appreciate that there is a range of strong feelings. However, no change will impact our commitment to saving lives when minutes truly matter.”
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