Denver International Airport (DIA) is the fifth busiest airport in the US and the tenth busiest in the world, seeing nearly 50 million travelers a year. DIA is also geographically the nation’s largest airport, covering 54 square miles (twice the size of Manhattan!). To accommodate such an expansive facility DIA was built 25 miles from downtown Denver, and 14 miles from the closest hospital.

Because of DIA’s immense size, the volume of passengers traveling through each day, and its distance from the core of the city, several paramedics are assigned to the airport to provide around-the-clock emergency care. Each of the paramedics assigned to DIA works independently as a solo-response unit.

Over 3,500 patients are contacted at DIA every year. Having paramedics assigned to the airport prevents hundreds of emergency responses to the airport each month and significantly reduces the time it takes for patients to receive help. These patients may be transported to the hospital by ambulance, evaluated and sent to the hospital by private vehicle, or treated at Denver Health’s DIA clinic.