ATLANTA — Grady Memorial Hospital is expanding its reach in emergency response with the launch of its first-ever medical helicopter, “Grady Air.”

The new service is designed to cut response times for trauma and critical care patients across metro Atlanta. It will also play a key role in delivering life-saving resources, including blood transfusions to hard-to-reach areas.

Dr. Ryan Fransman, Grady Air’s medical director, said the helicopter represents a major step forward for the hospital’s trauma program.

“We’re going to be cutting response times, we’re going to be cutting transport times; we’re going to be getting critical care services to patients in a faster period of time,” Fransman said.

Based at Fulton County Executive Airport, commonly known as Charlie Brown Field, Grady Air will be staffed with paramedics and nurses trained by Grady’s own teams. Fransman said the helicopter gives doctors and first responders new tools to reach patients who might not have had access to timely care in the past.

“We are reaching patients that we were prior not able to reach. We are getting blood transfusions to patients that were prior not able to receive them,” he added. “We are going to be saving lives. This is going to be a very, very impactful service for Atlanta and greater Atlanta.”

WSB’s Lisa Nicholas contributed to this story