The new Rescue 7 air ambulance visited Prentiss Monday. The flight crew gave a tour of the helicopter and took town officials and hospital staff up for a ride over Prentiss. Medical crews on flight are employed by Oschners, and the aircraft is stationed at the Bobby Chain Airport in Hattiesburg.

Jefferson Davis County is an active member of the Southeast Mississippi Air Ambulance District (SEMAAD) which has provided air ambulance service to all city and county residents since 1971.

SEMAAD continues to provide air ambulance response and transport to all SEMAAD County residents when needed, but now without copay requirements. This means that your insurance coverage amount will be accepted as full payment, and you will not have to pay any balance remaining. This is a new benefit of being a resident of a member county of SEMAAD.

If you are a tax paying resident of Jefferson Davis County you are automatically covered by Rescue 7 or any other participating aircraft if you are flown from a SEMAAD county or a county touching a SEMAAD county. You are covered whether you are insured or not, and you do not have to pay any additional membership cost.

Unfortunately, there are times that Rescue 7 is unable to respond. If you or a family member are flown by other aircraft not participating in the SEMAAD system, like Baptist LifeFlight, you are not covered and will get a bill; that provider will expect you to pay that bill. SEMAAD does not cover flights when other non-participating aircraft are used.

If you still need assistance with questions about this new benefit, please call SEMAAD at 601-264-2221 today. And take every chance you have to thank the Jefferson Davis County Board of Supervisors for being an active member of SEMAAD.