MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee-area medical helicopter service Flight for Life said it plans to open an air base in Fond du Lac next month.

The base will have a $5 million twin-engine helicopter and the equivalent of 15 full-time workers.

But competing services based in Neenah and Madison complained that the addition isn't needed.

ThedaStar Air Medical Service supervisor Gary Stromberg said the new base will duplicate services already offered and raise costs for all medical flights serving the area.

But Flight for Life spokeswoman Claire Rayford said that's not true. She said Flight for Life receives more calls from that area now than it can handle.

The number of medical helicopters nationally has more than doubled in the past decade as health care systems compete for patients.