For more than two decades, Chad Augustin has balanced two equally demanding emergency services careers: Serving as a firefighter, most recently as 12th Pasadena Fire Chief, while also flying as a paramedic with PHI Air Medical.
Augustin’s journey is a testament to resilience, passion, and the deep fulfilment that comes from serving others.
“My full-time job has always been in the fire service where I spent nearly 23 years with Sacramento Fire. During the last four and a half years, I have had the privilege of being the fire chief in the city of Pasadena, home to the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl,” Chad commented.
“I’ve been a part-time Flight Paramedic with PHI for the past 23 years, spending the majority of my time at our Modesto, California, base. I started flying in 1998 in Bakersfield. Just a few months later, in January 1999, I was hired as a firefighter in Sacramento. Even though I had only been flying for a short time, I knew I wanted to continue. It took a couple of years of trying and several interviews, but in 2002, I was finally hired by PHI.”
Augustin began with PHI Air Medical as part of the Air Med Team, which was affiliated with the Doctors Medical Center, which in 2005, transitioned into a PHI community base.
Augustin has been married to his wife Sandra for 28 years, and yes, he does have some spare time in his spare time ensuring his fitness levels are maintained by competing in crossfit competitions!
Augustin’s outstanding work to local communities has been well recognized. In 2010, he was awarded the Tim Hynes International Flight Paramedic of the year award – which he claims to be one of the greatest awards of his life.
Describe your most memorable day as a PHI flight paramedic.
Every day is memorable in its own way. Recently, we had a dual helicopter response to a severe head-on collision. Our patient was crashing in front of us, but my partner, Destiny, administered blood and performed a finger thoracostomy that saved the patient’s life. Watching her skill and confidence in that moment was incredibly rewarding.”
What does your typical morning look like?
It’s not all high-octane emergency service flights! It’s essential we make sure all our equipment is always at the ready. Most mornings, I spend time on ventilator management training—I work hard to be very proficient in this area. On Fridays, Dr. King provides morning education sessions, and the rest of the day I’m usually eager to get out and fly.
I’m part-time, so I don’t have assigned base duties, but I take it upon myself to clean the helicopters and the crew quarters when I can. I truly am grateful to be able to keep flying and want to ensure that I bring value to the team and PHI as a company. The pride in ownership is something that I can bring to the job.”
Tell us more about the PHI base you work at. What services or specialities make it so unique?
Both Modesto and Sonora have a high level of acuity with a diverse patient population. As a flight paramedic, I think of myself as a generalist—definitely not an expert on anything, but I enjoy the challenge of being prepared for any type of patient transport.
We provide a wide variety of specialized services, but it is the people that you work with that make the base so great. With a wonderful team, there is nothing you cannot accomplish, and our teamwork is something I treasure—it’s unique, it’s powerful, and it allows us to lean on each other’s strengths. I also love the constant learning: Medicine, aviation, weather—you name it. That curiosity even pushed me to pursue my private pilot’s license.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
We truly are empowered to use good critical thinking and teamwork to provide excellent care to our patients. As I have gained seniority throughout my career, I get so much more enjoyment out of watching my newer partners excel.
I absolutely love caring for patients. Having the ability to impact someone on what may be their worst day is an incredible privilege. I work hard never to miss the chance to be a bright spot in a bad situation.
For me, this is not just a job. We truly care about our community, and we are passionate about caring for residents round the clock, on some of the worst days of their lives. PHI has been in this community for decades.
Tell us one thing you wish more people knew about a career at PHI
PHI takes no shortcuts with safety—it’s the top priority. While we’re all passionate about patient care, it’s just as important we all make it home to our families at the end of the shift and PHI prioritizes our safety above anything else. If you’re looking for a career with autonomy, outstanding training, a strong safety culture, and amazing people, PHI is the place.
This press release was prepared and distributed by PHI Air Medical.
