ARCH Air Medical Service- Effingham, IL Base

06/12/2026

06/11/2026

Yesterday, we had the privilege of celebrating the remarkable career of former ARCH 3 Lead Pilot Jason “Jay” Vollmer on his retirement.

During more than 12 years with ARCH, Jay dedicated himself to serving countless patients and supporting the clinicians and crews who had the honor of working alongside him. The tremendous turnout at yesterday’s celebration was a testament to the impact he made on so many lives throughout his career.

We were especially grateful to our sister bases at Arch Air Medical Litchfield Base, ARCH Air Medical Service - Sparta, IL Base, and AirLife 2 - Olney, IL, whose crews flew in to share their well wishes and help honor Jay and his family on this special occasion. We were also thankful for the many clinicians, pilots, mechanics, and friends who stopped by the base to celebrate and recognize the lasting impact Jay has had on our program and the people around him.

One of the most meaningful moments of the day came when Pilot John had the opportunity to take Jay and his wonderful wife, Kim, on one final flight in our helicopter that had been such a significant part of Jay’s career and service. It was a fitting tribute to a pilot whose dedication, professionalism, and compassion have left a lasting legacy at ARCH.

Jay, your years of dedication to patients will be greatly missed by those in need on one of their worst days. Your diligence, inspiration, leadership, mentorship, and most importantly friendship will be greatly missed by your colleagues.

Congratulations on an outstanding career Jay, we love you ❤️

06/10/2026

We’re excited to officially join the Effingham County Chamber! 🚁

Thank you for the warm welcome and for helping connect businesses and organizations that make our community stronger. ARCH Air Medical Services is proud to serve Effingham and the surrounding region.

We look forward to continuing to build relationships and serve the communities we call home.

When minutes matter, ARCH is ready. 🚁

Let’s welcome ARCH Air Medical Services as a member of the Effingham County Chamber. Check out this quick look at the aircraft and team serving our region.

https://effinghamcountychamber.com/news/

06/03/2026

A smooth landing at St. John’s to pick up the crew and bring everyone home after a busy night. 🚁

Curt making it look easy as always. Safe travels, beautiful views, and another mission complete.

06/01/2026

One last night at the Martinsville Ag Fair, and what a great week it’s been! 🚁🎡

Tonight’s crew—Curt, Natasha, and Erick—had a blast wrapping up another fun evening with the community.

Tonight also marks Erick’s last shift as our Clinical Base Lead after four years in the role. While we’re sad to see him leave his full-time position at ARCH 3, we’re incredibly thankful for the leadership, knowledge, and dedication he’s brought to our team over the years.

The good news? This isn’t goodbye. We’re lucky enough that Erick will still be around as PRN, so we’ll continue seeing his familiar face on the schedule from time to time.

Thank you, Erick, for everything you’ve done for ARCH 3. We wish you nothing but success in your next chapter—and we’re glad you’re not getting away from us completely. 💙

05/31/2026

More fair shenanigans from your ARCH 3 crew 🤪

You can take a tour of the medical helicopter today for the next hour!
They are located on the NW corner of the track.

05/29/2026

ARCH 3 has been enjoying a great week at the Martinsville Agricultural Fair! 🚁🎡

Tonight’s crew — Jake, Bryon, and John — flew in to check out the rodeo and spend some time with the community. We’ve loved getting to be part of the fun this week, and we’re not done yet!

You can still catch us at several events this weekend (weather and flights permitting):
🐷 Barnyard Scramble - Friday
💥 Demo Derby – Saturday
👨‍👩‍👧 Family Fun Day – Sunday

If you see the helicopter fly in, come say hi to the crew! We always enjoy meeting everyone and being part of such a great community event. Thank you to the Martinsville Ag Fair for having us out this week! 🚁❤️

05/21/2026

🚁 EMS WEEK SPOTLIGHT 🚁

Last but not least, we’re spotlighting one of our flight paramedics, Lauren Marsh!

• Years in EMS: 12
• Years in flight: 3.5

Lauren’s background includes experience with Carle Arrow Ambulance, Carle Critical Care Pediatric Transport Team, and East Central Illinois EOD.

Her favorite part of the job?
“Well… sarcastically, being ANYWHERE in my flight suit and not doing patient care and being asked, ‘Are you the pilot?’ or ‘Do you fly this thing?’ And the look of disappointment when I say, ‘Nope, I’m just the medic,’ while my pilot grins from ear to ear.” 😅

But in all seriousness, Lauren says this has always been her dream job. One of her favorite moments is watching the Pre-K kids next to the base line up along the fence and wave as the helicopter takes off. 🚁❤️

☕ Go-to coffee order:
BRCC Loyal Spirit — black. (When she remembers to actually put the coffee cup under the Keurig 😅)
Or on rare “fancy” occasions, a frozen mocha from Dunkin.

🍴 Favorite shift snack:
Anything Natasha cooks. Specifically Ted & Natasha’s homemade bacon or banana chocolate chip muffins. Otherwise… there’s a strong chance she forgot to eat and is DoorDashing Pad Thai from Baan Thai 2 halfway through the shift.

🏕️ Off-duty hobbies:
Traveling, being outdoors, and spending time with friends and family.

🐴 If she wasn’t in EMS:
Large animal vet… or taxidermist. No in-between apparently.

🎓 Fun fact:
Before becoming a paramedic, Lauren was pursuing an equine sciences health & rehab degree in Kentucky on a volleyball scholarship.

😂 Favorite crew habit/funniest thing about the crew:
“Trauma bonding.”
But also when the pilots somehow come out of left field with a clinical suggestion, charting comment, or treatment plan opinion they absolutely should not know anything about… and somehow they’re completely correct.

And to make EMS Week even better… tomorrow is Lauren’s birthday! 🎉🚁

Happy EMS Week to all of our EMS providers, and happy early birthday, Lauren

05/21/2026

Taking a small pause in this weeks paramedic spotlight posts for a special announcement…

🥳Happy Birthday to Kelby!!! One of the few people who can survive working with this crew and still willingly come back for another shift 😅🎉

Kelby keeps the laughs going around ARCH 3, always rolls with the chaos, and somehow tolerates the nonstop antics that come with this job (including the fact that Curt and Lauren hid EIGHT separate noise makers in his vehicle over the course of THREE MONTHS… and he laughed about it instead of disowning us 🤣).

All jokes aside, we’re lucky to have a teammate who stays calm when things get chaotic, keeps a level head on difficult calls, and is someone we know we can count on. He’s a great nurse, a good friend, a good sport, and an important part of the ARCH 3 crew.

Hope your birthday is quieter than your truck was. 🎂🚁

05/20/2026

🚁 EMS Week Spotlight 🚁

Next up in our EMS Week spotlight series is Jake Cohen, one of our flight paramedics here at ARCH 3!

⏱️ Years in EMS: 12
🚁 Years in flight: 2.5

Before joining the flight world, Jake worked as a FF/EMT-P and EMS Lieutenant with a fire department in Colorado.

His favorite part of the job?
“Flying over my house on short final to Carle.” 🚁

☕ Go-to drink: Any sugar free Monster or a venti iced Americano from Starbucks
🍫 Favorite shift snack: Peanut M&Ms

When he’s off duty, Jake enjoys spending time with family, fitness, live music, and enjoying a good German lager.

If he wasn’t in EMS?
Brewing beer. 🍺

Fun facts about Jake: he plays the bagpipes AND speaks French… which honestly feels very on brand somehow. 😂

One of his favorite things about the crew is when the pilots try to be funny but actually offer a valid medical consideration at the same time.

We’re thankful to have Jake as part of the ARCH 3 crew. Happy EMS Week! 🚁