On May 25, 1984, St. John's Life Line air ambulance service was born with the donation of an MBB BO-105 CBS, 1983 model helicopter by Springfield philanthropist John Q. Hammons.

A few months later, on July 4, the helicopter known as Hammons Life Line served its first patients, flying to the scene of a car accident. Hammons Life Line ended 1984 with 209 flights, providing air ambulance service to 216 patients.

During the last 18 years, requests for air ambulance service have increased dramatically.

As of Dec. 31, 2001, Life Line had received more than 25,000 requests and flown more than 13,000 patients.

On Jan. 22, 2001, St. John's leased a second BO-105 helicopter, Life Line 2, which operates out of St. Robert. Life Line 2 exceeded initial flight projections when, after only three months of service, the helicopter flew more than 80 flights.

On Jan. 18, 2002, Life Line's new EC-135 helicopter arrived at St. John's. This aircraft replaced the original BO-105 and is faster, bigger, quieter and has a greater lift capacity than the original BO-105 Life Line helicopters. St. John's original aircraft, Hammons Life Line, replaced the leased helicopter that served as Life Line 2 in St. Robert.

St. John's received its second EC-135 in January 2003. The first EC-135 replaced the BO-105 at Life Line 2 and the BO was sent for refurb at Metro Aviation.

March 1, 2004, Life Line 1 was off-based to Branson West and Life Line 3 was introduced at St. John's Hospital.

May 1, 2004, Life Line 3 was moved to its new base at Citizens Memorial Hospital in Bolivar.