ARCH Air Medical Service- Effingham, IL Base

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! 🚁

05/19/2026

🚁 EMS Week Spotlight 🚁

Today we’re spotlighting Erick Wheeler, another one of our flight paramedics here at ARCH 3!

⏱️ Years in EMS: 17
🚁 Years in flight: 9 ½

Before flight, Erick’s background was in rural EMS — experience that helped build the calm-under-pressure mindset he brings to every shift.

His favorite part of the job?
“Having to stay ready for absolutely anything and everything.”

☕ Go-to drink: BRCC Loyal Spirit with MTN OPS Hot Ignite
🍫 Favorite shift snack: King size Reese’s Cups

When he’s off duty, Erick is usually spending time with his son Rhett — hunting, fishing, shooting bows, farming, and all kinds of “guy stuff.”

If he wasn’t in EMS?
“Professional hunter… if I could afford it.” 😂

Fun fact: Erick originally went to college to become an Industrial Arts teacher! Before coming to Air Methods his only experience with flight was jumping out of a deer stand 😅 short flight lol

One thing Erick appreciates most about the crew is how every team may do things a little differently, but everyone stays focused on evidence-based medicine and providing the best possible outcome for every patient.

Happy EMS Week from Erick and all of us at ARCH 3! 🚁

05/18/2026

🚁 EMS Week Spotlight 🚁

Meet Dylan Johnson, one of our flight paramedics here at ARCH 3!

⏱️ Years in EMS: 14 ½
🚁 Years in flight: 8

Before joining the flight world, Dylan worked in private EMS, Clark County EMS, and at Mattoon Fire.

His favorite part of the job?
“Walking into work not knowing what situations we will encounter daily.”

☕ Go-to drink: Monster
🍬 Favorite shift snack: “All things candy”

When he’s off duty, you’ll usually find him spending time with family or out hunting.

And if he wasn’t in EMS?
“Retired.” 😂

We’re thankful to have Dylan on our crew and appreciate the experience, calm attitude, and sense of humor he brings to the team every shift.

05/17/2026

💙🚁 Happy EMS Week from ARCH 3! 🚁💙

ChatGPT attempted EMS Week graphics for the medics this year… and while it may not have captured us perfectly, it definitely captured the chaos. 😅

This week, we’ll be spotlighting each of our ARCH 3 flight paramedics and sharing a little about the people behind the flight suits — the ones answering the call at all hours, adapting in constantly changing situations, and caring for patients on some of the hardest days of their lives.

To EMS providers everywhere — EMTs, paramedics, flight crews, and critical care transport teams — thank you for the sacrifices you make, the compassion you show, and the lives you impact every single day. We’re proud to stand beside you.

Different people. One mission. Always ready. 🚁❤️

Happy EMS Week!

05/11/2026

🚁💙 Nurses Week Spotlight: Kelby Edwards 💙🚁

Wrapping up our Nurses Week crew spotlights with another awesome member of the ARCH 3 team—Kelby!

From emergency department experience to flight nursing, Kelby brings adaptability, calm under pressure, and a love for the unexpected to every shift 👇

6 years in nursing.
3 years in flight nursing.

After working in the ED, Kelby was drawn to flight nursing because no two days are ever the same—and his favorite part of the job is exactly that: the unexpected.

Coffee? Not a chance 😅
Kelby keeps shifts going with white Monsters and Garden Salsa Sun Chips instead.

When he’s off duty, he prefers relaxing at home and “enjoying the mortgage” 🤣 which honestly might be one of the most relatable answers we received all week.

If he weren’t a nurse, Kelby says he’d own a food truck—which feels very fitting for someone with elite snack opinions.

We’re proud to have Kelby as part of the ARCH 3 crew. Give him some love in the comments! 💙👏