Every second counts during a medical emergency. Now, the time it takes to airlift a patient has been cut in half, thanks to two new helicopters purchased by AirMed.

"People don't usually call for helicopters. But when they need it, they need it now," said Mickey Bradley, AirMed Pilot.

Now, they can get it with AirMed's brand new helicopters. The Agusta 109 can carry two patients and has two engines for added safety.

"This is the top of the line as far as aircraft is concerned," said Bradley.

First responders say its speed is what will make the difference in an emergency.

"When you have a patient whose blood pressure is falling rapidly and you know they won't survive much more, those three to five minutes can make the difference," said AirMed's Renee Taylor.

"Right now our over the ground speed is 157 knots. That's about 180-85 miles per hour," said Bradley.

That will cut response times in half, but that's not the only advantage of these new helicopters.

"We now have the power available to come out of a tight hole and achieve one of the fastest speeds available for helicopters," said AirMed's Todd Hatfield.

Its power allows them to respond to emergencies they weren't able to with their old chopper.

"We're asked to fly in all types of weather and we have to turn down some missions because the weather may be questionable," said Bradley.

Now, all pilots have to do is plug in the coordinates and the 109 can fly itself.

While the 109 costs about $4M and the second helicopter is almost $2M medical crews say saving a life is priceless.

AirMed also has a new plane that's equipped and ready to go. It travels twice as fast as the choppers.

AirMed hopes to have all three aircraft up and running by next week. They serve all the hospitals in the Augusta area as well as others in the southeast.