ISSUE 88 | FEB / MAR 2018
AIRMED & RESCUE MAGAZINE
magazine
ISSUE 88
FEB / MAR 2018
RAPID RESPONSE AIR AMBULANCE
ADVERT LEFT
KING AIR
SPECIAL MISSIONS Learn more at specialmissions.txtav.com.
U.S. + 1 . 8 4 4 . 4 4 .T X TAV
|
INTERNATIONAL + 1 . 3 1 6 . 5 17. 8 2 7 0
© 2017 Textron Aviation Inc. All rights reserved. Beechcraft and King Air are trademarks or service marks of Textron Aviation Inc. or an affiliate and may be registered in the United States.
Contents 12
Editor-in-chief: Ian Cameron Editor: Mandy Langfield Sub-editors: Christian Northwood, Lauren Haigh, Stefan Mohamed, Sarah Watson
14
Advertising Sales: James Miller, Mike Forster Design: Katie Mitchell, Tommy Baker, Steve Mundey, Will McClelland, Peter Griffiths
RaeS conference preview:
Industry Voice:
What’s on the cards for April’s event
Brad Matheson, Priority1 Air Rescue
Marketing: Isabel Sturgess, Kate Knowles
18
Finance: Elspeth Reid, Alex Rogers, Kirstin Reid Contact Information: Editorial: tel: +44 (0)117 922 6600 (Ext. 3) email: editorial@airmedandrescue.com Advertising: tel: +44 (0)117 922 6600 (Ext. 1) email: jamesm@airmedandrescue.com Online: www.airmedandrescue.com @airmedandrescue www.airmedandrescue.com/facebook www.airmedandrescue.com/linkedin www.vimeo.com/airmedandrescue Subscriptions: www.airmedandrescue.com/subscribe subscriptions@voyageur.co.uk
34 Feature: On the cutting edge Medical equipment 2018
Italian Coast Guard
28
24
Published on behalf of Voyageur Publishing & Events Ltd Voyageur Buildings, 19 Lower Park Row, Bristol, BS1 5BN, UK The information contained in this publication has been published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. Neither the publisher nor Voyageur Publishing & Events Ltd can accept any responsibility for any error or misinterpretation. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or other damage caused by reliance on the information contained in this publication, or in the event of bankruptcy or liquidation or cessation of the trade of any company, individual or firm mentioned, is hereby excluded.
Printed by Pensord Press Limited © Voyageur Publishing & Events 2018
magazine AIRMED & RESCUE ISSUE 88 ISSN 2059-0822 (Print) ISSN 2059-0830 (Online) Materials in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Provider Profile:
26 Feature: Hurricane Harvey – no match for the might of US National Guard
Feature: Lessons learned for the Royal Canadian Air Force
Feature: Social media in SAR missions – a revolution in calls for help
Editor’s comment Ladies and gents, it’s an honour to take over the controls of the AirMed&Rescue craft. I’m not completely new at this, so don’t worry, your favourite air medical/SAR magazine is in good hands! I’ve worked on the magazine for many years already, assisting James Paul Wallis in his role as editor, while also dabbling in the world of travel insurance, during which time I’ve written many a feature about air ambulances and their vital role in supporting the insurance and assistance sector.
Nonetheless, the last six weeks or so since James’ departure have been a steep learning curve in terms of making sure we are bringing you the latest and most relevant news, both through our website and in the printed magazine. While the website is updated every day with stories of rescue missions, new helicopter and plane purchases, technological innovations and medical research, we are aiming to bring you more completely original and unique content in the printed magazine. For us, the value of the written word, seen in conjunction with fresh design and imagery, remains high. We hope you agree. Enjoy this issue!
NEWS
Seven ECMO missions in 10 days Between 19 and 29 January, Rega aircraft flew seven patients undergoing ECMO therapy to higher levels of care. Rega has owned its own ECMO equipment since 2009 – the only one in Switzerland to have this capability – and says that since its introduction, the kit has been needed by around 25 per cent of its 2,000 intensive care patients each year. In six of the seven missions completed in January, rescue helicopters were used to
transfer patients who were being treated in hospitals outside of major urban centres to more suitable facilities. The seventh mission saw the transfer of a patient from Switzerland to Germany. Roland Albrecht, chief flight physician for Rega, noted: “Seven ECMO transports in 10 days is an unusually high number. Thanks to good co-operation between Rega and the cardiac surgery department of the University
Stats ahoy The Irish Coast Guard assisted more than 3,300 people over the course of last year, during which time it says 335 missions were classed as ‘lives saved’ missions, on the basis that intervention from the team precluded loss of life or severe risk of loss of life. Coast Guard helicopters operating out of bases in Sligo, Shannon, Waterford and Dublin conducted a total of 750 missions in 2017, saving 175 people and assisting 316. The Coast Guard helicopter service, provided under contract by CHC Ireland, also provides aeromedical support to the Health and Safety Executive, conducting 150 such missions in 2017. As part of this service, Coast Guard helicopters transferred five paediatric patients to the UK for emergency procedures relating to organ transplant. The review of 2017’s missions concluded: “Technology continues to pay an important role in safety at sea through 44
AIRMED&RESCUE
the use of PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons) and EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons). One particular incident, resulting in the rescue of two transatlantic rowers some 180 miles off the SW coast in July, was made possible by the use of such technology. Unfortunately, a high proportion of false EPIRB alarms relate to carelessness in disposing of old equipment, including when older vessels change hands or are scrapped.” Coast Guard personnel assisted with the recovery of 65 bodies of people who had drowned and completed many other missing person searches, which signified a 30-percent increase on the same mission profiles from 2016. Over 2,500 incidents were coordinated through the three Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centres, which are based in Valentia, Malin and Dublin, which was a slight decrease from 2016.
Hospitals of Zurich and Bern, as well as the medical intensive care unit of the Cantonal Hospital St Gallen, we were able to carry out the assignments.”
Ketamine sedation review
A retrospective chart review published in the Air Medical Journal was aimed at determining the prevalence, safety and effectiveness of ketamine sedation in patients suffering from acute behavioural disturbance (ABD) during air medical retrieval. According to the authors, eligible patients were identified by searching the electronic databases of two air medical retrieval services in Queensland, Australia, for adult patients with ABD transported between 1 January 2015 and 30 June 2016. Data abstraction was performed as per standard chart review criteria. The incidences of intubations and adverse reactions were the main outcomes. The results saw 122 patients meeting the inclusion criteria. Thirty-one were intubated, 21 for airway protection/ respiratory depression and 10 for persistent ABD. Nine patients developed hypertension after ketamine had been administered, two of whom then needed medical intervention. One patient developed hypoxia after administration of the drug that resolved without intervention, and one developed increased secretions. The study authors concluded overall that ketamine is a safe and effective agent for sedating patients with ABD during an air medical transport mission.
LEADING THE INDUSTRY IN INTEGRATED AVIONICS
© 2015 BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC.
NEWS
INFORMATION AT-A-GLANCE
CONTINUOUS CRITICAL SYSTEMS MONITORING
TERRAIN AWARENESS SYSTEM (HTAWS)
INNOVATIVE AIRCRAFT FOR ALL YOUR MISSION NEEDS By offering exceptional flight performance with a fully integrated avionics console across our product classes, Bell Helicopter continues to change the way the world flies. The Bell BasiX-Pro™ enhances situational awareness by delivering easy-to-read information at-a-glance, improving operator safety. With ergonomically designed seating, mission-specific kits and accessories, Bell Helicopter is committed to providing aircraft that lead the industry in technology and safety.
BELLHELICOPTER.COM
www.airmedandrescue.com
55
NEWS
PJs take on training exercise under attack while trying to help. At that point, the PJ and CRO (combat rescue officer) students were inserted via UH-60 Blackhawks from the 3-501st. “Students have been given the mission, have planned for the mission and are preparing to arrive on station to render aide to the folks that need it,” Lopez said, as small arms fire rang out and Blackhawk rotors began slashing through the sky above the training area. The students were inserted on a hilltop while taking fire, and managed to triage, treat and transport all wounded over the course of the exercise. As the Blackhawks returned to the FOB, Blackhawk pilot Army Captain Chloe Flores said the exercise was a great opportunity for the Army contingent. “Things went really well today. This (joint training) provides a good opportunity for us to train with actual Pararescuemen, the dynamic mission set that they face really gives us an opportunity to practise how to react to that mission set and support them,” said Flores, commander of the 3-501st’s Charlie Company. “It was very
AIR FORCE PHOTO BY JIM FISHER
At the beginning of January, the cadre at the USAF Pararescue School at Kirtland Air Force Base employed a dynamic exercise regimen with the 3rd Battalion, 501st Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armoured Division, an Army unit from Fort Bliss, Texas, to create the fog of war for their students. The 10-day final evaluation phase was designed to ‘test students comprehensively before they earn the right to wear the maroon beret at the end of this month’, according to 351st Battlefield Airman Training Squadron (PJ School) commander, Lieutenant Colonel Joe Lopez. “This is a sequence of missions that we provide these students full mission profiles and we drop several missions per day on them through the course of 10 days,” Lopez said. A mass casualty scenario on the morning of 6 January demonstrated the rigor and complexity of a full mission profile, he explained. Incorporating more than 100 airmen and soldiers, the scenario included downed helicopters and a convoying response force that came
A student from the USAF Pararescue School carries a wounded Airman to safety
66
AIRMED&RESCUE
hasty, we had to move really fast, and aircraft had to split up to support forces (under attack) on the ground. We were sequencing aircraft out of a hot landing zone and were able to pick up the patients and bring them back to the medical facility here.” “These gentlemen have been in their course of training for approximately two to three years,” Lopez said. “The end of this training is approximately six months long – the apprentice course – they are now two to three weeks away from becoming brand new Pararescuemen and Combat Rescue Officers.” Training prior to the apprentice course at Kirtland includes Army airborne, military free fall, survival school, combat dive and emergency medical technician training and certification. The washout rate for people entering the program is between 85 and 90 per cent, Lopez said. “We are looking for someone that is extremely physically capable, but also mentally resilient and able to bring all that together on the battlefield,” he concluded.
NEWS
Providing Peace of Mind for our Patients
Compassion, Comfort, Superior CARE 100% CERTIFIED WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS
International Air Ambulance Services Providing a unique approach to patient care with: • Noise cancelling headsets with therapeutic music, hand massages with aromatherapy to help reduce stressors of flight • A critical care team offering bedside to bedside service for Neonates | Pediatrics | Adults | Bariatrics • Transportation in company owned Learjets configured as hospital intensive care units
Worldwide Commercial Medical Escort Services Offering an affordable alternative for medically stable patients with the following: • All travel arrangements including First/Business class air and ground transportation for patient comfort • Experienced critical care nurse escort utilizing FAA approved oxygen and medical equipment • Travel arrangement for accompanying patient family members
Dual accreditations. Our commitment to the highest standard of care.
www.aircareone.com US 1.877.760.7760
Int’l 505.242.7760
www.airmedandrescue.com
77
NEWS
US Army concludes Atlantic Resolve operation Following a nine-month stay in support of NATO operation Atlantic Resolve, the US Army 10th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) gathered its helicopters and additional support equipment for shipment back towards Fort Drum, New York, US
PETER TEN BERG
88
AIRMED&RESCUE
PETER TEN BERG
Its temporary centre of operations was the Dutch port of Rotterdam, where US Army Captain Nagy, together with a 60-man force, handled incoming flights and prepared the helicopters for sea transport. The move out of US Army facilities in Kattersbach and Illesheim, Germany included about 1,100 vehicles and containers, as well as around 60 helicopters involving AH-64D Apaches, CH47F Chinooks and UH-60M/L Black Hawks. Captain Nagy explained that the operation was carried out together with Dutch defense forces, which supplied Host Nation Support (where one NATO member supports another when moving over their territory). One of the support mechanisms provided by Dutch defense personnel was a Mobile Air Operations Team to give
the choppers landing instructions in the final part of the approach into the harbour
between nearby harbour cranes and stored oil platforms.
NEWS
Night light helipads aid operations in UK AirCARE1 expands fleet A new temporary night-lit landing site assistance from FEC Heliports Equipment. has gone live in Hereford, UK, in order to Meanwhile, London’s Air Ambulance (LAA) support the operations of the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity (MAAC). The charity operates 14 hours a day, and the temporary helipads means it can continue operations till 21:00 hrs. The new site was launched with a test flight by the charity’s Stensham-based helicopter. Julian Spiers, Airbase Supervisor for the Strensham airbase, which covers Herefordshire, said of the new site: “To support emergency pre-hospital patient care in more remote parts of our operating patch after the hours of darkness, research was undertaken into locations to host temporary night-lit landing sites in Herefordshire and Shropshire.” MAAC says that the project would have not been possible without the help of the Community Emergency Landing Light Support (CELLS) volunteers, grant funding from the HELP Appeal and
has received a case of FEC-manufactured HEMS-Star portable helipad lights, which will help LAA dramatically, particularly during winter when there are fewer daylight hours. HEMS-Star lighting will help London’s Air Ambulance to extend its operational hours by providing safe and effective marking of night time landing sites. The charity also plans to use the portable lights as a training tool at its base at RAF Northolt. Fraser MacKay, Commercial Director of FEC Heliports Equipment Ltd said: “We are proud to support the HELP Appeal’s continuing mission to promote, develop and enhance support for the provision of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services throughout the country. The delivery of a case of HEMS-Star to London’s Air
US-based fixed-wing air ambulance provider AirCARE1 International has announced the addition of a fourth plane to its fleet of air ambulance aircraft. A newly acquired Learjet 36A joins an existing fleet of three Learjet 35A aircraft all owned and operated by AirCARE1. The new plane will perform medical transportation flights throughout North America, South America and Central America, said the firm, with abilities to perform worldwide operations to Europe, Asia and the South Pacific coming in the near future. Ambulance will help in their essential work to bring the hospital to the patient wherever that may be and safely deliver their services outside of daylight hours.”
www.airmedandrescue.com
99
NEWS
Pilatus obtains PC-24 type certificates VR hoist training Switzerland-based Pilatus has obtained Oscar J. Schwenk, Chairman at Pilatus, said for the RCAF type certificates from the European on receipt of the type certificates: “The Aviation Safety Agency and the US’s Federal Aviation Administration for its newest aircraft, the PC-24. The first PC-24 prototype completed its maiden flight in May 2015 and, since then, all three prototypes used in the certification programme have flown a total of 2,205 hours worldwide. Some flight tests were conducted in extreme environments: in icing conditions and very hot temperatures, at altitudes and speeds not usually encountered in everyday operations. Other tests have included bird impacts, structural stress tests, noise tests and general function.
PC-24 is the first ever Pilatus business jet. Naturally, the requirements associated with obtaining certification for this sort of aircraft are extremely rigorous, and I need hardly mention that we faced some big challenges. In 2013, we announced that the PC-24 would be ready in 2017, and now, shortly before the end of the year, we have achieved exactly that. And all performance data promised to our first 84 customers have been achieved or even exceeded. The PC-24 delivers a maximum speed of 440 knots (815 km/h) compared to the contractually agreed 425 knots (787 km/h) – to cite just one example.”
RapidShock analysis added to Zoll AEDs technology, which decreases heart analysis time and pauses in chest compressions. RapidShock Analysis can analyse a heart rhythm in three seconds – existing devices can take up to 12 seconds. Minimising CPR pause time for more continuous lifesaving CPR care can improve patient outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest. RapidShock Analysis is a free upgrade to existing ZOLL AED 3 owners in countries where it has regulatory approval. “We’re pleased to be able to add this breakthrough technology to the ZOLL AED 3. It is critical to deliver consistent, high-quality chest compressions, and this technology dramatically reduces pauses, allowing for high-quality CPR,” said A. Ernest Whiton, President of ZOLL Resuscitation.
RapidShock Analysis can analyse a heart rhythm in three seconds ZOLL Medical Corporation, an Asahi Kasei Group Company that manufactures medical devices and related software solutions, has announced that the company’s ZOLL AED 3 and the ZOLL AED BLS automated external defibrillators now feature RapidShock Analysis 10 10
AIRMED&RESCUE
Bluedrop Performance Learning Inc. through its subsidiary Bluedrop Training & Simulation Inc. has received a $1-million contract through the Build in Canada Innovation Program to deliver a new approach to hoist training for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) Maritime Helicopter (MH) community. The new CH-148 virtual reality rescue hoist simulator will provide MH crews the ability to complete mission specific hoist and crew communication evolutions in operationally relevant environments. “As one of the first virtual reality rear-crew mission training simulators available within the RCAF, this simulator will enhance crew
this simulator will enhance crew readiness at reduced risk and cost while maximizing the value of flight operations readiness at reduced risk and cost while maximizing the value of flight operations,” said the company. Bluedrop has said it will work closely with 12 Wing to tailor simulator capabilities to address basic and advanced crew training requirements. “We are very pleased to continue our work with the MH community, supporting their operations with this state-of-the-art training device. As Bluedrop is already a proud partner in the CH-148 training programme through the provision of instructors and courseware, this project underlines our extensive capabilities as a complete training systems integrator,” said JeanClaude Siew, Vice-President of technology and simulation.
NEWS
ADAC HEMS ACADEMY
ADAC HEMS ACADEMY
ADAC HEMS Academy receives FFS approval
The German ADAC HEMS training academy has received European Aviation Safety Agency/Luftfahrt Bundesamt (German Civil Aviation Authority) approval for its new H145 Level D Full Flight Simulator (FFS). The new simulator, developed and produced with the close co-
Visit us! HELI-EXPO LAS VEGAS FEB 27 - MAR 01, 2018 Booth N3330
operation of Reiser Simulation and Training in Germany, ‘completes the portfolio of EC135 and EC45 FFS at the Academy and sets a new standard in the world of helicopter simulation’, said ADAC HEMS. Thomas Hutsch, CEO of ADAC HEMS Academy, commented on the capabilities of
the new simulator and what it offers users: “Besides Level D standards, the H145 FFS offers pilots the opportunity to gain experience in night vision goggle (NVG) flight, making use of the NVGs the operators use during their missions.” He added that the FFS will be used by members of ADAC Air Rescue, one of the largest HEMS operators in Europe: “We are dedicated to ensure the best training possible for ADAC crews, [and] partners worldwide can benefit from the same toplevel training facilities used by Germany’s largest air ambulance service.”
Simulation matches Reality on H145! Our new H145 Level D Full Flight Simulator completes our training portfolio for EMS, Law-enforcement, VIP and Offshore operators. State-of-the-Art quality and performance, combined with advanced technology. An intuitive onboard IOS and dual channel LED projection with NVG stimulation will enhance the quality of your training. ADAC HEMS Academy: Your competent partner for training on EC135, EC145 and H145 FFS.
www.hems-academy.de
Experience the training that makes the difference.
www.airmedandrescue.com
1111
NEWS
Extensive upgrade undertaken by BSAA Babcock Scandinavian AirAmbulance (BSAA) has launched the first AW169 helicopter in active Emergency Medical Service (EMS) duty in the Nordics. The helicopter is operated on behalf of Jämtland Härjedalen Region and it replaces the AS365N2 Dauphin that the company has
operated in the region since 2006. Shortly after 10:00 hrs on 13 January, the new helicopter took off on its first mission assignment ever – a long-distance patient transport southwards. Later that afternoon, a very satisfied crew returned to Östersund after more than four hours in the air.
“It’s a big and historic event for us and for the region to finally get airborne – in active duty – with the AW169,” said company Production Manager Thure Waplan. “The launch has been preceded by a long period of customisation and training to ensure the highest quality and safety right from the start, which means that we are very delighted to start our operations with such a capable helicopter.” The base in Östersund is the first of four Swedish EMS helicopter bases that will replace its existing helicopters with Leonardo AW169s in 2018. Next in line are bases in Gällivare and Lycksele, as well as the new base in Gothenburg. Simultaneously, work is also underway to replace the current helicopters at the company’s base in Stockholm with two new Airbus H145s this spring. “Overall, we are currently embarked on the most extensive upgrade of Sweden’s EMS helicopter inventory ever,” said Waplan.
RaeS event to focus on evolution of care The International Aeromedical Transport – Concepts in Airborne Patient Management conference will follow on from the Critical Care in the Air (CCAT) conference that was run in 2017 The Royal Aeronautical Society (RaeS) in the UK, in association with CCAT Aeromedical Training, is holding a one-day event in London on Monday 9th April 2018 that focuses on the way in which medical care available on fixed-wing air ambulances has recently evolved and illustrates the move away from unregulated chartered aircraft, towards the widespread use of high-quality, modern bespoke air ambulance systems and also the improvements seen in commercial airline repatriations. The conference sessions concentrate on recent developments in the use of extreme environment physiology as a basis for patient risk analysis, and also on discussions demonstrating how service design influences the quality of care in flight. The agenda includes some myth busting with regards to commonly held beliefs about physiological and physical constraints 12 12
AIRMED&RESCUE
in the flight environment, updates on the cross-border carriage of infectious patients, best practice in the transfer of neurological patients, and some current insights into the challenges presented by the transfer and retrieval of children and newborn babies. Other aspects of the conference will review the reasons for, and constraints of, legal crew flight-time limitations and how this can affect mission capability, as well as meaningful and efficacious risk management in aeromedical transport. The conference organiser said: “Whilst the public view of air ambulances may be influenced by the profound media interest in helicopter emergency medical services, the use of fixed-wing air (FW) ambulances goes back almost as far as the history of powered flight itself, and is little understood by the general public. FW patient transfer services may be regarded as ‘Cinderella’ services by some, but they collectively move thousands of patients around the globe every year, and all very quietly, without media interest, and often without recognition. Current fixed-wing air ambulances are not just
modern aircraft with state-of-the-art propulsion systems and complex avionics. They are also fitted with dedicated and often bespoke clinical interiors and aircraftpatient interface systems, as well as being loaded with modern complex air-portable medical equipment and ‘bedside’ laboratory analysers, and are staffed with expert critical care and emergency care healthcare professionals specifically trained in transfer medicine.” For further information: https://goo.gl/ssqFS7
NEWS
Second AW169 for Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance The UK’s Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Trust (KSSAAT) has accepted its second AW169 helicopter from Leonardo The medical interior will be installed by Specialist Aviation Services, which will also operate the aircraft on behalf of the Trust. The helicopter will enter service in the second quarter of this year. Adrian Bell, CEO of KSAAT, said of the AW169: “Our first aircraft has amply demonstrated the capability shift that KSSAAT has been seeking in terms of patient care with its extra performance and specially designed medical cabin. So we are delighted to extend this capability across the rest of our operation with a second AW169.” Henk Schaeken, Managing Director of Specialist Aviation Services, commented: “We are very grateful for the trust which KSSAAT has placed in both SAS
and Leonardo by being our UK launch customer, and we are immensely proud to have that reinforced with the delivery of their second aircraft.” Meanwhile, Leonardo recently announced that the AW139 intermediate twin engine
helicopter global fleet has reached a 2,000,000-flight hour milestone, across all operational scenarios on five continents, while performing a wide range of missions with commercial, government and military operators.
We speak your global aviation language...
AOG URGENT Dauphin parts in stock www.airmedandrescue.com
1313
INDUSTRY VOICE
Priority1AirRescue (P1AR) offers training courses for helicopter SAR, air ambulance/HEMS, fire suppression and tactical operations, which are conducted in systematic and standardised approach to ensure mission success, says Brad Matheson, President and Director of Training for P1AR The course delivery methods employed by P1AR ensure that the selected training curriculums are structured to meet the demanding requirements of commercial, para-public and military operators, while also maintaining a certain amount of flexibility in order to be specifically tailored for each customer and type of student learner. We wanted to have the ability to offer a full spectrum of training options and capabilities to our customers worldwide that are relevant to all major input standards, aircraft types, and mission mandates. The comprehensive terminal learning objectives contained in the P1AR training curriculum meet and exceed the requirements set forth by the European Aviation Safety Agency, Transport Canada, Civil Aviation Safety Authority, and the latest version of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations for operators looking to implement or expand Class D Human External Cargo operations. P1AR’s courseware, manuals, administrative material, governance, and programme implementation have passed the scrutiny of multiple audits through many international civil aviation authorities and federal agencies, which has further led many agencies to adopt and integrate the P1AR programme structure as part of their operations manuals. “When we commit to providing a programme for a customer, we are developing a close partnership. Whether training, operational administrative support or both, we become connected and truly are partners with our customers. Our duty is to provide the most comprehensive programme possible to make our customers as safe, capable and successful as possible,” said Mark Torrest, Executive Vice-President of operations.
14 14
AIRMED&RESCUE
Individual needs P1AR looks at what gaps and opportunities there are in the SAR industry and how to further apply innovation to develop relevant training aids and tools for the SAR community in the future. For many years, pilots have had the ability to hone their skills in a synthetic environment, while the SAR/Tactical rear-crew communities were offered only a few training options without the use of synthetic training, and mostly conducted through the military. In early 2012, after almost a year of evaluation and trial, P1AR made the decision and commitment to revolutionise the approach to how rear crews were trained by creating the first commercially available Search and Rescue Tactical Training Academy (SART/TAC) dedicated to a full mission spectrum for the commercial, para-public, and military customer bases. The P1AR SART/TAC facilities incorporate leading-edge technology classrooms, Virtual Hoist Simulators (VHS) in conjunction with a Hoist Procedural Towers (HPT) allowing student participants to truly learn at a controlled ‘crawl, walk, run’ pace at every application and correlating level of learning. The company currently has two offices in Vancouver, Canada and Valletta, Malta, and operates SART/TAC facilities located in Mesa, Arizona (US) and at the Aérocampus Aquitaine in Bordeaux (France). Each facility offers the chance for organisations to conduct Initial, Basic, Advanced and Recurrent Hoist Rescue, Aerial Use of Force/Gunnery, Fast Rope/ Rappel, external load, air ambulance/HEMS, and even basic rear-crew type conversion training. Training courses generally begin with the basic theory, taught in the ground school portion of the course. Upon successful completion of the ground school, students cycle through several training evolutions in the VHS and HPT to practise their compensate technical skill or relevant tactics. Training is progressive, and every student must pass the outlined objectives for each training module before continuing to progress to more advanced techniques, and throughout the training process, students are consistently supported and evaluated by P1AR instructors. This includes evaluations of a student’s
INDUSTRY VOICE
inspection and physical use of the relevant SAR equipment required for a hoist rescue mission, and equally important, the student’s focus on human factors, demeanour, and overall performance when conducting a simulated hoist rescue or mission response. “While utilising a diverse array of the actual SAR/ PEE equipment for the mission is an important part of our immersive training, the crew is the most important ‘equipment’ in the aircraft to achieve a safe and successful mission,” said Torres. Rear-crew focused High Fidelity Simulation The Synthetic training portion provides a context to which the SAR/Tactical mission knowledge learned in ground school is then applied, which provides an advantage for course participants before they conduct the actual flight training portion. Like other pilot flight simulators, there are no aircraft maintenance or fuel costs, no life limited parts to consider, no weather issues to contend with; just a directed focus on a consistent and controlled level of training to enhance their skills in a safe environment. Student participants are immersed in a virtual world in which P1AR instructors can simulate a basic level inland/overland hoist mission profile to more
For hoist missions conducted at night, it is truly revolutionary to our capability to effectively train hoist operators in normal and emergency procedures advanced levels of operations like maritime vessel(s) and night/NVG SAR missions. The VHS is equipped with a hoist for participants to actually practise many of the initial concepts, from decision making and situational awareness, communications, conning and cable management, and is the only method to practise emergencies like cable entanglements and cable shearing.
For the tactical helicopter customer base, having the ability to offer initial to advanced aerial use of force and gunnery training utilising the Mag 58 (M240), GAU21, M3M or M134 Miniguns makes the SART/TAC facility a unique and valuable option for many militaries and government agencies. The gunnery simulation training includes accurate replication of true NATO ballistics modelling to ensure students learn accurate marksmanship while also mitigating ammunition expense and environmental contamination. Doctors, nurses, and EMT/paramedics also perform their training flights in the VHS to perform landings in highways, parks or other confined areas. Another mission P1AR can provide a significant impact in our VHS for our customers is in performing night time unaided or NVG mission training. “For hoist missions conducted at night, it is truly revolutionary to our capability to effectively train hoist operators in normal and emergency procedures,” said Adam Davis, Manager of SART/TAC. Towering above Located in P1AR’s SART/TAC facilities, the VHS is not the only unique tool used to create and refine SAR crews. The HPT also plays a critical role in a student’s training cycle. Crews take the knowledge gained in the VHS and apply a deeper tactile use with the HPT due to the incorporation of actual helicopter hoists and the ability to mirror the internal layout of most of the helicopters used for SAR/Tactical missions. “Because of diversity and size of our customer base employing a myriad of helicopter makes and models, we knew we couldn’t follow the standard approach to a training tower that is specific to one helicopter type,” said Adam Davis “Our training aids and equipment need to be as applicable to our customer’s aircraft and mission as possible. The design of a tower of this magnitude was quite involved, but after several revisions, we have remarkable training towers.” Besides providing instructor led training, P1AR also extends appropriate customers the ability to ‘dry lease’ their training facilities. P1AR provides the support staff and equipment needed to ensure each dry lease customer is fully capable of conducting training, and once accepted, customers can utilise the VHS and HPT with their own instructors. Currently, it’s important to note that almost all of the P1AR customers that conduct training in a SART/TAC facility continue their training with P1AR instructors – utilising the customer’s aircraft in a live environment allows P1AR instructors to work with students in their actual environment and aircraft.
www.airmedandrescue.com
15 15
SPECIAL REPORT
Dutch ambulance helicopter exceeds expectations
Peter ten Berg reports on the development of the service In November 2016, the helicopter ambulance service for the Dutch Wadden islands was started by the Regionale Ambulance Voorziening (RAV) Fryslan. Just over a year later, it can be concluded that the Airbus H-145 helicopters are called upon much more often than was originally planned. In fact, with about 630 flights completed, the helicopter ambulance service more than doubled the predicted number of 300 flights a year. Indications of the increase in the number of flights taking place had been noted earlier in the year – by Autumn 2017, the count had already exceeded 540. RAV spokeswoman Carin Kaagman, manager of the firm’s helicopter unit, told AM&R that this remarkable spike in flights was also noticed by RAV Frysland. Although the first 18 months to two years of operation was always going to be a start-up and learning phase, research was done to find answers to the question of why the reality differed so starkly from what had been predicted. 16 16
AIRMED&RESCUE
RAV had used historical statistics from two sources – firstly, the Dutch military search and rescue (SAR) helicopters – when calculating the figures.
The H-145 crew, with its specialised medical trained professionals, is able to provide more added value in specialised medical situations The bright yellow AB-412 military helicopters had previously provided this service as a side job when on duty at the nearby shooting range in case of
SPECIAL REPORT
previous expected 300.” In the search for answers, some other aspects came forward which probably contributed to the difference in expectation versus reality. This included a number of ambulance flights that had been executed by the Lifeliner trauma/HEMS helicopters, but not recorded as such, and therefore not included in the assessment of expected yearly flights. A third, partial, aspect is that there is also a move from using lifeboats of the KNZRM (Royal Dutch Rescue Society) operated by trained volunteers for patient transportation, to the air ambulance helicopters. The H-145 crew, with its specialised medical trained professionals, is able to provide more added value in specialised medical situations. RAV Fryslan and ANWB-MAA will continue to work together to reach some final conclusion as to why the reality of flight operations so far exceeded expectations.
emergencies. However, due to budget cuts, the Dutch Air Force had to restructure and could no longer mark this service as core business, which resulted in it concluding at the end of 2014. Between early 2015 and late 2016, the SAR helicopters of Noord Vlaanderen Helicopters (NVH), operating on behalf of the Dutch Coast Guard at Naval Air Station De Kooij at Den Helder, provided temporary assistance so that ambulance flights could still take place – this provided a second source of information from which RAV could extrapolate data to predict flight numbers. The historical flight statistics mention a figure of about 300 flight hours a year, which is likely where the predicted number of flights themselves stemmed from – note the difference – flight hours and flights. Ms Kaagman noted, however, that further analysis of the flights made by the ANWBMedical Air Assistance H-145 helicopters on behalf of RAV Fryslan since November 2016 showed that an average ambulance flight lasted approximately 30 to 40 minutes. “With this in mind, we must assume that herein a large part of the actual high number of flights is explained against the
www.airmedandrescue.com
17 17
FEATURE
James Paul Wallis highlights recent developments in the range of medical devices available to air rescue providers Looking at the range of medical devices being marketed for use onboard medical helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, there have a been a number of product announcements over recent months. The picture continues to change, with new products planned for launch in 2018. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the advances being made with ventilators, monitors, defibrillators and infant transport systems. Ventilators Among ventilator innovations heading your way is the new Ventway Sparrow. Details of the new device, described by maker Inovytec of Israel as an ‘ultra portable turbine ventilator’, were revealed in December and it’s expected to go on sale in June. The name reflects the unit’s light weight and compact size, which the company says suits its intended use in emergency and transport medicine. A ‘Robust’ model aimed at military users weighs in at 1.15 kg (2½ lbs), while the standard version is just 1 kg (2lbs 3oz) – which Inovytec says compares to between 4 kg and 9 kg for the majority of turbine transport ventilators. Both have a footprint of approximately 165 mm (6½ inches) square and a height of 60 mm (less than 2½ inches). They can run 1818
AIRMED&RESCUE
on battery packs that give around four hours of ventilation, or external AC or DC power. Users can choose from volume control or pressure support ventilation modes, as well as synchronised intermittent-mandatory ventilation or continuous positive airway pressure (non-invasive) modes. Mark Shahar, Chief Technology Officer for Inovytec, explained that the Sparrow is suited to patients weighing 5 kg (11 lbs) and above, and can work with a mask or endotracheal tube. He added: “The ventilator’s intended use is mainly for transport, but it can be also used for intra-hospital transport and helicopter medical evacuations.” Shahar also said that the Sparrow does not require any routine maintenance, other than filter replacement after each 300 hours of operation. Inovytec CEO Udi Kantor added: “[The] Ventway Sparrow was developed for addressing the huge need for a highly portable, high-performance, turbine-driven ventilator. The complex Israeli environment generated the motivation to address this need. Our R&D team, which includes veterans of the ventilation industry, succeeded [in developing] the innovative Ventway Sparrow technology. I strongly believe that the Ventway Sparrow will have a significant impact on the transport and EMS ventilation sector, both civil and military.” Another new ventilator coming out of Israel is the Ventoux from Flight Medical, maker of the existing Flight 60 ventilator. Due for launch later
FEATURE
this year, the Ventoux features ‘adaptive ventilation modes’ that ‘learn and integrate patient responses in order to effectively adapt to their physiological and clinical conditions’, says Flight Medical. Two Ventoux models have been designed – a version with 12-inch screen suited for emergency room or acute care settings, and a more compact version with an eight-inch display that’s targeted at EMS and intra-hospital transport uses. The two models weigh 7 kg (15.4 lbs) and 6 kg (13.2 lbs) respectively, and can run on either batteries or external power. The company asserts that the device is the only portable ventilator to feature an automated cuff pressure controller, such as the one offered with the Ventoux, as an advanced ventilator module. According to the firm, the automated, fully integrated cuff pressure controller ‘reduces clinical intervention by continuously monitoring and automatically adjusting cuffed tracheal and tracheostomy tube pressure during the entire ventilation period’. The company adds: “The automatic cuff pressure controller’s unique design helps prevent and control ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and tracheal injuries whilst supporting and optimising mechanical ventilation therapy.” Before the Ventoux and Sparrow announcements came the Oxylog VE300, which was announced in May. The latest model from Dräger of Germany, the Oxylog VE300 was released as a robust ventilator that is ‘straightforward and user-friendly’ with ‘intuitive operation’. The device is marketed as lightweight, sturdy and simple to operate, factors that make it ‘particularly apt for use outside of the hospital environment’. It was designed with ergonomics in mind, featuring a large handle above the centre of gravity for comfortable carrying, even with a gas cylinder loaded onboard. Melanie Kamann, Dräger corporate spokeswoman, told AM&R: “The Oxylog VE300 was developed with the aim to support the customer in their daily work by reducing weight and by making the application easier (easy-to-
handle) – e.g. a colour touch screen, intuitive user interface, quick start, low weight … Dräger has made it easier to handle for its customers by 30 per cent compared to the previous model.” The battery provides up to nine hours of ventilation, says Dräger, while functions accessible from the 4.3-inch colour touch screen include volume control, pressure support and spontaneous breathing support modes. A CPR function allows ventilation of patients during resuscitation. Capnography comes via main-stream CO2 measurement. With its battery, the device weighs 3.3 kg (7.3 lbs). Data can be exported, including patient data and screen shots. Dräger explained: “The ventilation data can be transferred using the USB or Bluetooth interface and can thus be documented when the patient is
www.airmedandrescue.com
1919
FEATURE
transferred to the hospital team providing the further treatment.” Dräger followed up on the release of the Oxylog VE300 with the launch of the ClassicStar Plus disposable mask in July. The non-invasive ventilation mask has a silicone sealing lip instead of the usual mask cushion. The lip is anatomically shaped, and the position of the mask can be individually adjusted using the forehead support. The ClassicStar Plus is available in four sizes. Intubation For invasive ventilation, the patient is intubated, with an endotracheal tube being passed through the mouth and down into the wind pipe. The key, of course, is to ensure that you’re accessing the trachea (windpipe), which leads to the lungs, not the oesophagus, which leads to the stomach. There are existing methods to help medics identify correct placement, such as video laryngoscopes, but Guide In Medical is about to launch a new device that takes a novel approach – illuminating the trachea from the outside. The product comprises a self-adhesive patch that attaches to the front of the patient’s neck and shines light of a tailored wavelength into the skin. The blinking light is powerful enough to reach the trachea, while the oesophagus remains dark, making it easier to see where to aim the endotracheal tube. As the Israeli firm says, the Guide In unit is capable of ‘transforming ordinary video intubation devices into guided devices’. The Guide In device is semi-disposable, in that each one can be used for five intubations. The 2020
AIRMED&RESCUE
company gives the estimated retail price as around US$40. In late 2017, Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica, the official publication of the Scandinavian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, published an article (Kristensen MS, Fried E, Biro P. , Infrared Red Intubation System (IRRIS) guided flexible videoscope assisted difficult airway management) in which the authors said: “The blinking nature of the light from the [device] helped to distinguish it from the reflections in the mucosa that inevitably arise when the mucosa is hit by the light from the flexible scope itself.” They added: “The addition of the IRRIS technique to intubation with flexible videoscopes may be a tool that will make intubation of the most difficult airways easier and may be of special help to the clinician who only rarely uses flexible videoscopes for tracheal intubation.” Ariel Shrem, CEO of Guide In Medical, told AM&R that the device will soon be launched onto the market: “We [have] obtained marketing approvals in Europe, Canada and Israel. In addition, we are [working with] the [US Food and Drug Administration] and are about to get the marketing approval in the US.” Monitors Turning to monitors and defibrillators, a recent addition to the market was the Tempus ALS, which was launched at the Emergency Services Show in September 2017. The system comprises a separate – but paired – defibrillator and monitor, each with a large colour display. The concept for separating out the two units, explains UK-based manufacturer RDT, is that while a defibrillator is a must-have to take on a mission, it’s only actually used in a small percentage of callouts. Therefore, the Tempus ALS has a dual-screen capability that allows the monitor and defibrillator to perform all functions independently, but also to automatically pair up when they are together. “This helps the user to focus solely on the critical information at hand and to better recognise and manage a deteriorating patient,”
FEATURE
says RDT. Both the vital signs monitor and the defibrillator are meant to be small enough to fit in a medic’s grab bag or even motorcycle panniers. They weigh in at 3.2 kg (7 lbs) and 2 kg (under 4.5 lbs) respectively. RDT’s promotional material highlights the weight, saying: “Imagine not having to carry an 8-to-15 kg monitor to the scene.” Among the functions offered are automatic defibrillation, cardioversion, fixed and demand pacing, CPR feedback and STEMI transmission. All patient data can be streamed in real time, meaning information can be shared through secure communications with, for example, colleagues in the emergency department, helping to increase situational awareness, make better transport decisions and potentially improve treatment at the scene, avoiding unnecessary transfers. The monitor boasts 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity – 4G is expected in 2018. The modular system can be upgraded with additional capabilities as required, says RDT, such as point-of-injury ultrasound or video laryngoscopy. The Tempus ALS has already been adopted by services such as the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, Kent Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance Trust (KSAAT), and by the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service in Wales (EMRTS Wales). Professor Richard Lyon, Associate Medical Director at KSSAAT, commented: “Measuring, recording and transmitting physiological data accurately is crucial, not only for life-saving pre-hospital care, but also for audit, research and clinical development ... the Tempus design allows it to be carried easily within our response pack, yet it is versatile enough to transmit data directly from scene, ambulance or even helicopter in-flight.
The data handling capacity of the Tempus is first-class, as it seamlessly interfaces with our patient record system, improving clinical care and powering research and development.” In-flight infant The Baby Pod 20 hit the scene in July, coming as the follow-up from Advanced Healthcare Technology (AHT) to its Baby Pod II Infant Transport Device. According to the UK-based maker, the spur behind the creation of the original Baby Pod was a need for a safe solution for inter-hospital transport of neonates who don’t require a full transport incubator. AHT said the design of the latest evolution of the concept incorporates over a decade of user feedback. Advances in material technologies have made it possible to cut weight while making the new unit stronger and safer than the model it has replaced. The outer shell is a lighter, thinner carbon fibre-reinforced plastic design, making it easier to handle. A new, clear lid affords better visibility and access to the patient, even within the restricted space of an aircraft cabin – the front section slides open to give access to the head and upper body, and the whole lid folds over the rear of the pod to expose the whole patient. The opening mechanism was designed with aircraft use in mind, says the manufacturer: “Due to the nature of the Baby Pod being used increasingly for air transport, the limitations of the original Baby Pod II lid opening mechanism became increasingly apparent, its outwardly opening lid sections not being convenient when operating in a tight space being a key challenge to overcome when designing a new evolution of the product.” AHT also introduced a new strapping system from Ponsa, whose high-tensile
olutions s e iv t c e Eff 53 since 19
For tried and trusted Medical Systems. Try Bucher. www.bucher-group.com
Our primary benefits at a glance ■■ Lightweight solutions ■■ Modular equipment certified under one STC ■■ Flexible usage and mission profiles ■■ Full medical certification with label ■■ Perfectly adapted for different types of deployment
Aircraft Interior Solutions
www.airmedandrescue.com
2121
FEATURE
webbing and metal buckles mean the Baby Pod 20 will stay attached to a transport stretcher when subjected to forces up to 9 kN (2,000 lbf). A further update is an improved vacuum mattress: “The infant positioning strapping [passes] directly through the mattress outer foil to better secure the mattress around the patient, making the most snug cocoon possible.” Another innovation is a CO2 evacuation system that was taken from AHT’s Evac Pod model. Users can attach a medical air supply to an inlet on the front of unit, which then, ‘using low-pressure and jet flow and mixing principles’, draws any carbon dioxide layered at the base of the unit out of an exit valve on the underside of the shell. This, says AHT, in turn draws clean ambient air into the patient compartment via the patient access port in the viewing lid. More than new products Of course, the changing state of the transport medical device market is not just defined by new and recently released models, but also by updates to existing designs and take-up of existing devices by new customers. For example, while not a new model, the MEDUMAT Standard2 ventilator is being upgraded, gaining a Bluetooth connectivity option from the end of January 2018. Users with the option will be able to transmit data via Bluetooth, in order to support digital documentation, says maker Weinmann of Germany. The fact that data can be transferred quickly and easily at the end of a mission means that the team can be rapidly restored to operational
2222
AIRMED&RESCUE
readiness, says the firm. Existing devices are also gaining ground with major new sales – one example is the purchase of automatic chest-compression devices by Poland’s state-funded air rescue service Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe (LPR) in December. Following a tender process, LPR selected the Easy Pulse made by Swiss manufacturer Schiller. Poland saw its first rescue using a chest compression device in February 2017, said Schiller, in a mission involving a hypothermic man on Pilsko mountain. Less than year later, LPR is adopting the devices for use on its helicopters at 21 bases across Poland. The device straps around the chest of a patient to assist with CPR by automatically delivering chest compressions, leaving the treating medical personnel free to focus on other aspects of care. Continuous development No doubt the range of devices produced by both major and emerging manufacturers will continue to grow. If the current trends are increased connectivity and reduced weight, it will be interesting to see how that will continue to be applied to the range of equipment used onboard air ambulance helicopters and planes over the coming year. Regarding connectivity, there are factors to consider outside of the hardware. Let’s give a last word to Rebecca Boughey, RDT Marketing Director: “The adoption of new technologies in prehospital care is fundamental to enable improvements in patient outcomes, whilst supporting the delivery of operational and clinical improvements. Innovation will need to address the real challenge of capturing and sharing data easily so that often disjointed healthcare delivery can be integrated to give better care yet make efficiencies and address pressures on resource utilisation. All of this will have to be achieved against a backdrop where cybersecurity and data protection will be going above and beyond current standards to truly prioritise the rights of patients.”
You’re Invited: Goodrich Rescue Hoist Operators’ Conference February 24–25, 2018; Las Vegas Register at goodrichhoistandwinch.com
FEATURE
UNTIL EVERY LIFE IS SAVED When lives hang in the balance, you need a rescue hoist that doesn’t quit. Goodrich rescue hoists offer a high efficiency motor for a continuous duty cycle, as well as translating drum technology to reduce cable stress — providing non-stop operation on every mission. For over four decades, Goodrich rescue hoists have saved countless lives across the globe. Trusted by crews aboard the major international airborne platforms, Goodrich rescue hoists have built a legacy of unmatched reliability and safety — holding the most EASA & FAA certifications in the industry. Make sure your rotorcraft can operate non-stop until every life is saved — equip it with a Goodrich rescue hoist. Learn more at goodrichhoistandwinch.com.
www.airmedandrescue.com
2323
MILITARY SAR SPECIAL EDITION
Amy Gallagher explains how Hurricane Harvey demanded the use of uncommon military tools for the successful completion of search and rescue missions – social media Collaboration, communications, coordination Assigned by the Army National Guard (ANG) National Division, Texas Task Force One (TX-TF1)-Helicopter Search and Rescue Technician (HSART) Program Manager Brett Dixon served as liaison while co-ordinating National Guard assets and filtering SAR communications at the TX-TF1 headquarters, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Services (TEEX) in College Station. “We received SAR requests from the public and local law enforcement agencies that were pushed to the state operations cells that got pushed to our headquarters,” explained Dixon. Members of the TXARNG had conducted joint swift-water rescue training with TX-TF1-HSART team rescue swimmers just three months previously, he added: “In June last year, the TXARNG and TX-TF1-HSART teams conducted joint training on the UH60 Blackhawk and the UH72 Lakota focused on helicopter rescue familiarisation and capability training with boat squads and rescue hoist training.” During Harvey, one swimmer was allocated for both aircraft types. The initial collaboration between the TXARNG, TTF1-HSART, and FEMA marked the start of a government-based network of SAR and local emergency responders, including 911, explained Major Jordan Boyd, TXARNG, who co-ordinated SAR cells while communicating with joint air, water and ground interagency partners, including the US Coast Guard. Posts, tweets, texts and calls As Harvey graduated from a Category One to a Category Four hurricane on 24 August, the need to activate National Guard members from all over the US arose, according to Boyd. “Meanwhile, civilians began activating their smartphones,” he said. “Ultimately, we worked together to leverage digital 24 24
AIRMED&RESCUE
communications to rescue thousands.” With multiple collaborators utilising a diverse matrix of communications technology, from satellite phones and radios to text messages and Facebook, rescuers had to think ‘outside the box’ to fight Harvey. “In addition, alerts for SAR requests popped up as notifications via Twitter as well,” said Boyd. In fact, he added, FEMA created a hashtag for Twitter users (#rescueme) while other agencies created their own hashtags, including: • #txnarng • #texasproud • #Harvey • #TexasNationalGuard “The nation’s 24/7 access to digital communications led to immediate emergency connections and direct responses within emergency management offices where personnel, even aircrew members in flight, were saturated with calls, emails, posts, and text messages,” said Boyd. “But not without maximising social media. However, Harvey’s 131-mph wind speed eventually overpowered even the most up-to-date digital communications technology.” Digital devices weren’t always 100 per cent proof, he added. “We had rescues where hoist rescue swimmers were rescuing victims hanging on to a pole with their clothes ripped off due to high winds and rapid floods,” said Boyd. “Those victims were unfortunately without their cell phones. However, SAR teams conducted 24/7 reconnaissance missions to identify those situations.” At the SAR Cell Communications Centre at TEEX College Station, the initial challenge was establishing the need for SAR with some of the call centre operators. However, when the call centres were downed, the public immediately fled to Facebook and Instagram. Normally, people dial 911, which is standard operating procedure. However, the 911 system was also overwhelmed by Harvey, in conjunction with inoperable landline phones and intermittent wireless connections.
MILITARY SAR SPECIAL EDITION Technology as a ‘game changer’ Captain Matt Geller of the Dallas Fire Department, a TX-TF1-HSART rescue swimmer, said his sister called him about a Facebook post she read: ‘77-year old female stuck in house, water crested over banks, rooftop flooding, can’t get on top, last ditch effort for help’. “My sister texted the address then I relayed the co-ordinates to the pilot who then entered into the UH60 Blackhawk Global Positioning System (GPS),” said Geller. “Although the non-stop water shedding was substantial, the woman was rescued and taken to a safe location.” The next day, Geller read in the
civilian family members relayed Facebook pleas for help to military SAR personnel Houston Chronicle that the woman had been reunited with her family. “That’s the ideal ‘mission executed’ scenario. However, we rarely get feedback from those we rescue,” he said. Cell phones were used as mobile 911 devices when the 911 service was unavailable. Geller added: “Technology and social media have changed everything. I used a recon GPS app on my iPhone which has all of the critical information. During one of the recon missions, I received a text, ‘Help, help, help, Houston area, not getting 911, no phones’.” According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) site, in general, about 70 per cent of today’s 911 calls are placed from wireless telephones; however, the cell site to the 911 caller’s specific location is not always feasible for rescue personnel to deliver assistance, the site explained.
Harvey’s substantial wind speeds, cell service usage and connections were ‘hit or miss’, which ultimately generated multiple SAR alerts for the same location,” said Boyd. “The tower issues were creating havoc for cell users because different people had various service providers.” Fortunately, Boyd had two cell phones, with two different service providers. “With downed phone lines, call centres and cell towers, the volume of messages still poured in at our TX-TF1 headquarters and crew at an astonishing, rate,” he said. “We had to filter SAR requests prior to establishing the SAR cells, which required validation before redirecting assets to that cell. At one point, we had 200 texts in two hours.” High-tech and high-touch meet ‘just-in-time’ delivery The cell towers were overwhelmed with the data from texts downloaded during the night, added Boyd. “I was blown away when I asked the coordinators at our TX-TF1 headquarters, ‘How are you getting these mission requests?’ Initially, they said, ‘Facebook’.” The fact is everybody has a cell phone and relies on it 24/7. Boyd then explained how incoming digital messages and posts began infiltrating the guard crews directly. “Somewhat like ‘just-in-time’ delivery, the human-to-human connections via digital technology in real time was a first,” he said. Boyd explained a typical SAR scenario: Once the operations cell at TXTF1 headquarters received the request for SAR via phone or various social media outlets, it was validated then forwarded to the SAR crews. In numerous instances, the SAR crews were receiving texts or social media rescue requests directly from family members, friends, or third party contacts. From that point, the crews pushed the request to the SAR cell who then validated it and instructed the nearest SAR crew for tasking. “At that point, due to the high operating/operations tempo environment, we assumed the mission was executed,” said Boyd. “However, text messages were coming in so quickly and had to be pushed out to the flight crews immediately. As Harvey’s strength overpowered standard communications and radio frequencies, we reverted to the simplest and quickest form of communication. At that point, we immediately went to combinations of different social media messages. More specifically, text messaging.”
GPS: mobile and installed systems In the early stages of Harvey and prior to the set-up of Harvey’s community Facebook page, civilian family members relayed Facebook pleas for help to military SAR personnel who then were able to utilise both mobile GPS apps, as well as helicopter installed GPS systems, explained Boyd. “With
Text threads and target groups According to Dixon, group texting flight crews by creating text threads was a critical tool. “In the beginning, we only had time to quickly enter just the contact numbers due to the overwhelming number of incoming texts and emergent needs. Later, we created a contact for each person then pushed information out to the categorised thread based on need.” Crews were able to share locations through cell phone texts, he added. “Text messages and messaging apps were the primary mode of communicating with multiple groups during Harvey,” said Dixon. “It proved to be faster and more efficient than any other mode.” Setting up target groups using GroupMe messaging app allowed us to co-ordinate cells so they could all see the discussions, he said. Boyd agreed. “We expect to continue using messaging apps more efficiently in future missions,” he said. “Although the infrastructure isn’t always in place for text messaging, it was the most efficient way to communicate and connect with other agency teams and then to civilians for rescue.” It was almost too easy not to use texts, added Boyd. At the end of the 10-day siege, digital technology was The Joint Air Ground Coordination Team Air Operations Centre (AOC) at Camp Mabry in Austin, a similar leveraged to conduct 2,000 rescues. operation to the TX-TF1 AOC at TEEX in College Station
www.airmedandrescue.com
25 25
MILITARY SAR SPECIAL EDITION
Major Petra Smith of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) describes the latest training techniques that the RCAF hopes will inspire crew members to work more effectively together
“To be successful, the RCAF needs to foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement across all foundational elements.” Royal Canadian Air Force, Future Concepts Directive Part 2: Future Air Operating Concept Inspired by the open, collaborative and creatively designed working spaces, 18 members of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) learned a new way of tackling problems at Communitech, a unique, not-for-profit, industry-led innovation centre located in Ontario’s Waterloo Region. The RCAF has established the ‘Flight Deck’ at Communitech, with the goal of fostering a spirit of innovation, to teach members new and efficient ways of thinking, and to solve real-world problems. Four times a year, up to 18 RCAF personnel visit the Flight Deck and participate in a two-day Innovation Basecamp training session, to identify and develop solutions to challenges that exist at any level of the RCAF. “Innovative technology, knowledge, and problem solving are critical for Canada and its allies to mitigate new threats, stay ahead of potential adversaries, and meet evolving defence and security needs, while generating economic benefits for Canada, says Canada’s defence policy. The Innovation Basecamp held in late 2017 was the second such event. The problem to solve this time around was: How to best use the RCAF’s Lessons Learned Program. More specifically, the team aimed to determine how to turn lesson-finding reports into lessons learned. “The Flight Deck at Communitech is just one of the ways that the RCAF is striving to inculcate an innovation mindset,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Ray Stockermans of the
RCAF and communitech representatives at the event in September 2017
26 26
AIRMED&RESCUE
Canadian Forces Aerospace Warfare Centre, located in Trenton, Ontario. “Engaging with like-minded stakeholders, including the wider Canadian Armed Forces, our allies, academia, industry and other government departments, the RCAF is promoting a culture change that encourages our members to question the status quo and to bring forth good ideas.” The RCAF’s 18-member team was composed of lessons learned experts and representatives from a wide variety of communities and occupations. Led by the expertise of two Communitech facilitators, the team experienced new and innovative ways of considering problems through the lens of the Lessons Learned Program. “Learning opportunities with innovative organisations like Communitech can only enhance our effectiveness,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Ray Townsend, the commanding officer of 404 Long Range Patrol and Transport Squadron, located at 14 Wing Greenwood, Nova Scotia. “It is extremely important for professional aviators and other members of the RCAF to embrace opportunities to
The Flight Deck at Communitech is just one of the ways that the RCAF is striving to inculcate an innovation mindset ‘think’ in ways that challenge the status quo and have those candid, but respectful discussions on how to improve how the RCAF operates.” One of the approaches used during Basecamp was ‘design thinking’, which compels its users to challenge assumptions and to ‘use empathy to uncover insights and opportunities to innovate’. Empathy is achieved by: “Experiencing the problem first-hand, intentionally interviewing and engaging with users to gain perspective, and viewing users and their behaviours in the context of their lives.” As part of the exercise, the team interviewed senior leaders of the RCAF, applying the new interview techniques, with a view to achieving empathy and, ultimately, clarifying the problem statement and command intent for the Lessons Learned Program. A second approach used was Lean Canvas Thinking, which quickly identifies the problem, possible solutions, costs, benefits, value perspectives and audience using tools such as interviewing, prototyping, ideation and solution sketching. During the Lean Canvas education session, Innovation Basecamp participants uncovered more
MILITARY SAR SPECIAL EDITION than 100 different ways of improving the Lessons Learned Program through ideation, prototyping and focused brainstorming, all while under a deliberate time constraint. While there remains ongoing work to turn the ideas generated at the Basecamp into concrete change, the team developed many viable solutions. Major Christy Stef from 1 Canadian Air Division Headquarters in
the team experienced new and innovative ways of considering problems through the lens of the Lessons Learned Program
OP IMPACT IMAGING
Winnipeg, Manitoba, affirmed the value of different perspectives. “Getting a disparate group of people together in a new and creative environment is ideal to generate new ideas and better, more dynamic thinking,” she said The real value of the Basecamp was ‘the opportunity to look at problems from a new perspective, to be receptive to new ideas and to learn new ways of thinking’, noted Corporal Anthony Celeste from 8 Wing Trenton, Ontario. A final exercise, focused on looking at issues through a different mindset, concluded that the RCAF should strive to see itself as what Communitech describes as a ‘Nimble Hippo’ company, since the RCAF is ‘Agile – Move fast and operate at scale; Smart – Leverage what they have and change what they need to; Curious – Seek to learn what they don’t know; Partner – Look to engage ecosystems different than they are; and Cool – Talent magnet’. It seems that there are distinct similarities between the Nimble Hippo and the RCAF; it is a large, agile learning organisation that is comprised of smart team members who are able to partner at the national and international level, and is looking to attract the best.
www.airmedandrescue.com
27 27
US AIR FORCE PHOTO MASTER SGT JOSHUA L. DEMOTTS
MILITARY SAR SPECIAL EDITION
The Texas National Guard had its work cut out when Hurricane Harvey struck. A combination of teamwork, training and timely responses meant that successful rescues took place across the state. Amy Gallagher has the details On 25 August, the eye of Hurricane Harvey made landfall around 30 miles northeast of the city of Corpus Christi near Rockport. The area sustained 131-mph winds for six hours with 151-mph gusts, and like an uninvited guest, the storm stalled over Texas for days, and became the 28 28
AIRMED&RESCUE
worst natural disaster in US history. Between 26 and 29 August, Harvey was downgraded to a tropical storm. However, over six days, Harvey’s fury dumped an estimated 27 trillion gallons of water on the area. During the storm, the US Army pulled in 60 aircraft from 22 states within a 72hour window to fight a triple threat, while rescuing over 2,000 citizens. Texas National Guard In response to Harvey’s impending landfall on 25 August, the Texas National Guard (TXNG) began executing its State Emergency Action Plan
MILITARY SAR SPECIAL EDITION
three days earlier, according to Colonel Win Burkett, Commander, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade and State Army Aviation Officer, headquartered in Austin, Texas. “When Harvey escalated from a Category One to a Four on 24 August in less than 24 hours, combined with a forecast of heavy flooding, we knew our state’s assets would quickly exceed the demands,” explained Col Burkett. “The National Guard answers to two executives: the state governor and the US president,” he said. “The National Guard is always there to answer the Governor’s call to respond UH60 hoist rescue of a family from a rooftop in Houston domestically, and always ready to
answer the President’s call to meet national strategic demands. Leveraging the totality of the National Guard’s assets to meet the demands of a largescale catastrophic event is one of the Guard’s unique strengths.” As Harvey transitioned from a tropical storm to a hurricane, Colonel Burkett was notified by the National Guard Director, Army Aviation in Washington, DC that the ‘Busted Wind Sock’ asset had been activated. “Busted Wind Sock is a web-based communications tool that alerts the co-ordination between US state National Guard headquarters to move available assets to a central location in a training status until called forward by the state requesting assets,” he explained. As a proactive and expeditious step, accessing available assets in every state conveys the strength of the National Guard, added Col Burkett. “With a forecast of 54 inches of rain in four days, we ramped up, knowing Harvey could be a high-wind and flood event. We needed SAR-trained personnel certified as medically trained rescue swimmers, additional hoist-equipped capabilities, as well as medium and heavy lift aircraft.”
www.airmedandrescue.com
29 29
MILITARY SAR SPECIAL EDITION
SAR+Digital Air Operations Command (AOC) at Camp Mabry Austin
Within 72 hours, more than 140 aviation professionals and 40 aircraft were landing in or were en route to Texas, he said. HSART: The Heart of TX-TF1 Team Co-ordinating TXNG assets required a liaison assigned by the ANG National Division. Called to lead this effort was Retired US Marine Brett Dixon, Program Manager, TX-TF1 Team-HSART (Texas Task Force One Helicopter Search and Rescue Technician) in his full-time role as Program Manager, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Services (TEEX). Under Dixon, the TX-TF1 team trains HSART personnel at its centrally located TEEX-TX-TF1 headquarters in College Station. “The TX-TF1 SAR team is one of 22 national urban SAR teams strengthened with helicopter rescue swimmers,” said Dixon. HSART
Prior to the initial landfall, SAR-capable medevac aircraft were moved as close to the storm as possible
teams from the Carolinas joined seven Texas Mission Ready Packages at Task Force Ellington Field, near the impacted area and collocated with the US Coast Guard, Emergency Operations Center, US Navy and US Air Force SAR rotary-wing aircraft via Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) missions, said Colonel Burkett. 30 30
AIRMED&RESCUE
Captain Matt Geller performing a rescue
MILITARY SAR SPECIAL EDITION Harvey gains strength Harvey’s initial landfall in Rockport, followed by its unexpected return, caused massive flooding. Prior to the initial landfall, SAR-capable medevac aircraft were moved as close to the storm as possible. Burkett explained: “The intent was to have response assets immediately available as soon as the storm hit. As the storm slowed and rain/water levels increased, the need for HSART medically certified, hoist-trained rescue swimmers increased.” Texas had 26 aircraft and approximately 500 personnel at the start of
The professional co-ordination of hundreds of aviation crews and multiple aircraft types was phenomenal the response. This quickly increased to 60 aircraft and more than 1,300 personnel. Burkett noted: “In co-operation with local authorities and private airfields, aircraft and personnel operated from six locations with minimal friction.” Trained up to take Harvey down According to Dixon, the TEEX office conducts intensive, skills-based routine training to build TX-TF1-HSART-qualified rescue swimmers who also train monthly with the US Navy SEAL team. “The HSART has specific dual-capabilities with the National Guard and a civilian role, such as a fulltime firefighter,” he said. Captain Matt Geller, a 17-year firefighter with the Dallas Fire Department and TX-TF1-HSART, worked with TXNG Crew Chief Sergeant Tommy Denson, CW2 Pilot Dan Hillner, and pilot in command (PIC) Texas Army Guard Major Edward Greber, acting PIC, Sikorsky UH-60M MEDEVAC Black Hawk. “We flew on the ‘clean side’ of the storm in Corpus Christi conducting Two rescued victims in a UH60 hoist rescues while the storm was in Rockport,” said Geller. Serving 23 years as a Commissioned and US Army Warrant Officer, Major Greber said Harvey was definitely his ‘most demanding’ SAR mission. All SAR A family of five rescued from Rockport in a UH60 teams continued to
Multiple agencies collaborated and co-ordinated efforts to manage communications during Hurricane Harvey at the Texas Task Force One Texas A&M Engineering Extension headquarters in College Station
move as the storm headed in an easterly direction, he said. “With high winds and reduced ceilings, we were constantly looking out for other aircraft, towers, high tension lines, and trees as high as 170 feet,” said Greber. “Many times, we’d get to an area to rescue several people, but had to hover for 30 minutes to wait out the weather.” Even though citizens were informed, not everyone was able to evacuate. “Most were elderly who were weak with chronic conditions,” said Geller. “One flood victim had a heart attack while in rescue. We made several rescues like that during the 12 to 14 days.” According to Dixon, by 27 August, the following SAR assets were either onsite or in route to the Gulf Coast: • 33 US Coast Guard aircraft • Five US Customs and Border Control aircraft • Five Texas DPS aircraft • Nine TX-NG helicopters • 22 UH-60 Blackhawks • 10 LUH-72A Lakota and • Two UH-47 Chinooks.
www.airmedandrescue.com
31 31
MILITARY SAR SPECIAL EDITION
A UH60 on Frwy - Captain Geller holds the baby as the mother runs to safe location
UH60 refuels before launching to Rockport
“The professional co-ordination of hundreds of aviation crews and multiple aircraft types was phenomenal,” said Dixon. Crew co-ordination and training ensures readiness and preparedness, said Crew Chief Sergeant Denson: “Harvey’s extreme wind speeds and low visibility challenged hoist operations. While Major Greber held the aircraft steady, I managed the hoist cable from getting tangled into trees and power lines so Geller could get down the hoist to make rescues.” Geller described the experience as ‘chaos and calm, simultaneously in motion, for hours’. “Our ability to co-ordinate rescues and make it happen every time was, without a doubt, a direct result of our training,” he said. The speed of the winds with the pelting of the rain even chipped paint off the aircraft, said Geller. “I’ve never seen or experienced anything like it,” he said. The perfect pairing Teaming the UH-60 with the LUH-72A on a 24/7 rotation for six days was a powerful sight, not only for rescuers, but those rescued as well, said Colonel Burkett. “The Lakota is ‘hoist capable’ and extremely manoeuverable, with near-surgical ability to lift people and pets from dangerous locations,” he said. “Teaming this asset with the lift capability of a UH-60 allowed the LUH-72A to rescue and deliver personnel to a collection point where the UH-60 transported those to a safe location.” From the rescue swimmer’s perspective, Geller said the Lakota allows greater hoisting precision on the air side for safer operations: “The Lakota generates less rotor wash, making the hoist rescues less demanding,” he said, adding: “The Black Hawk was perfect for daytime missions while the Lakota’s night vision capabilities were a great asset during night SARs.” According to Col Burkett, Major Greber, in co-ordination with TX-TF1, conducted night hoist rescue capabilities during its annual National Guard training in June, which were later validated and directly executed during
Flooded area shows scale of the disaster
Harvey’s night SAR missions. “The training event resulted in absolute precision and could not have been timelier,” he said. “All requests for assistance were met with no aviation mishaps.” Mission accomplished “It was humbling to watch our soldiers in action,” said Col Burkett. “The technical expertise of the aircrew, ground support and maintenance personnel navigating through the extreme conditions to remain as close to the storm as possible was amazing. The complexity of the environmental
The Black Hawk was perfect for daytime missions while the Lakota’s night vision capabilities were a great asset during night SARs
conditions was absolutely unprecedented. Responding Army Guard personnel from Texas and multiple states conducted 371 hoist rescues and evacuated over 2,000 people.” “This was an outstanding National Guard response to what is likely our state’s largest national disaster, that provided the Governor and the Adjutant General with significant and timely aviation-related options to meet more than 400 air mission requests,” he concluded.
For 10 consecutive days, Sergeant Denson said the crew rescued ‘people of all ages, from an infant to the elderly in their nineties, along with their cats and dogs’. One of the more gratifying moments, he said, was rescuing two Texas Parks and Wildlife officials whose boat capsized in the swift-moving water: “Geller noticed them as we were flying when they waved us down for help. I positioned the aircraft while directing them with hand/ arm signals to paddle their boat away from our rotor wash. I lowered Geller down onto the boat rescuing both. Our helicopter just happened to be flying over.” A UH60 hovers while Captain Geller performs a mid-air hoist rescue
32 32
AIRMED&RESCUE
MILITARY SAR SPECIAL EDITION
Lite Flite Helicopter Rescue Equipment is used to save lives by dedicated SAR teams in more than 40 countries. Why not yours, too ?
Hoist Harnesses Quick Release Boxes Static Discharge Wires Gunner Belts and Lanyards Guide Line Systems Sling Strops Stretchers Sea Trays
The worlds largest civilian operators, coast guards and armed forces are thrilled about the performance and the minimal maintenance required. Leading helicopter manufacturers even include or recommend our modern equipment as standard in new SAR helicopters. Lite Flite Helicopter Rescue Equipment is proudly designed and made in Denmark. For more information, please see www.lite-flite.aero, email us at info@lite-flite.aero or call us at +45 7558 3737. We will do our utmost to help you. Where applicable, Lite Flite Helicopter Rescue Equipment is manufactured in accordance with European Council Directive 89/686/EEC with later amendments, and is tested and type certified according to European Norms EN813:2008, EN1497:2007, EN358:2000, EN1498:2006, EN362:2005, EN365:2007, EN364:1996 etc.
Lite Flite ApS Lufthavnsvej 8 6580 Vamdrup 33 www.airmedandrescue.com 33 DENMARK
DINO MARCELLINO
MILITARY SAR SPECIAL EDITION
AW-139 getting a hose down after a mission at sea
Dino Marcellino gives AM&R the lowdown on the structure, facilities and capabilities of the Italian Coast Guard
with more set to join the fleet in the future. Piaggio P-180CP and ATR42MPs Manta planes complete the current line-up.
The Italian Coast Guard (Guardia Costiera) is a specialist division of the Italian Navy. The current staff consists of 11,000 personnel distributed over 310 stations, from the Maritime Rescue Sub-Centres covering each of the 15 maritime zones, to local offices and delegations. This organisation carries out a wide range of tasks, covering over 8,000 km (5,000 miles) of coastline, at sea and sometimes on behalf of foreign countries. The Coast Guard is mandated to perform the following tasks: • Ensure efficient organisation of search and rescue (SAR) services in Italy’s area of interest at sea, which goes beyond the boundaries of territorial waters (wherever human life needs protection at sea). The General Command carries out the function of IMRCC (Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Center) • Monitoring and control of maritime traffic, both in terms of Safety of Navigation and Maritime Security • Identification, control and prevention of pollution at sea (mainly caused by ships) • Monitoring and control of fishing activities • Conservation of the coastal and marine environment, protection of underwater archaeological assets • Port State Control To fulfil its roles, the Italian Coast Guard has both naval and aerial departments – the naval component is equipped with more than 600 vessels located in 113 ports along the peninsula and islands, while the aerial component is centred at three air bases, which host the respective Nuclei Aerei, or Air Units. The Nuclei Aerei play an essential role in carrying out a wide spectrum of missions, and their increasingly important role in Coast Guard activities is evidenced by a recent modernisation and restructuring plan. In fact, during 2017, the service retired two older aircraft models: the AB-412CP Koala helicopter and the Piaggio P-166DL.3 SEM Orca twin-engine patrol plane. At the same time, the number of AW139CP Nemo helicopters increased,
Lay of the land The first Nucleo Aereo is based in Sarzana, northern Italy, and is equipped with four Leonardo AW139CPs. The second Nucleo Aereo is located in Catania, Sicily, in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea. Equipped with two ATR-42MPs, one P-180CP and six AW139CPs, the unit is heavily engaged in SAR activities in the Mediterranean Sea, assisting migrants from the African coast, among other missions. Pescara, in central Italy, is home to the third Nucleo Aereo, which is equipped with an ATR-42MP and two AW139s. Pescara was the last of the three air bases to receive a rotor wing component, and will soon welcome the arrival of a third AW139. The unit stands ready to respond to rescue alarms 24/7/365, with a helicopter and the necessary personnel on standby in the base during daytime hours and available at night at short notice. The standard crew is made up of four crew members: pilot, co-pilot, systems operator/ winchman and a rescuer. In the event that a mission requires a flight to an out-of-area location, or a long transfer with intermediate refuelling stops, an aircraft technical specialist joins the crew. Some missions may also see a second rescuer taken onboard, and the Coast Guard has also signed an agreement with the Italian National Health Service to take doctors and nurses onboard if needed.
34 34
AIRMED&RESCUE
Finding Nemos The AW139 helicopters boast a range of SAR equipment: the hoist rescue collar, which is the most commonly used device; a Kong stretcher with a 40-m (130-ft) cable to control rotation; a high line to assist with winching onto boats; a folding rescue basket; and a medical rucksack for providing initial care. In addition, there is an air-deployable, single-person life raft equipped with a strobe-light, an anchor, a flare gun and a radio transmitter. Furthermore, a paediatric transport bag is available, which can
accommodate a child up to one metre (three feet) tall, which functions as a stretcher and can be secured in such a way as to protect the child from both water and rotor wash. A patrol system console, used for flying patrol missions, is fixed and remains onboard. The crew is able to fly and perform rescues at night with the aid of night vision goggles. All the helos are equipped with 272-kg (600-pound) hoist, searchlight, weather and search radar, and a thermal imaging camera. The two large side sponsons bear the landing gear and also house inflatable 11-person life-rafts, used in the event that the aircraft must be evacuated at sea. With one helicopter on standby for SAR calls, the second is used for maritime traffic control missions and fishing patrol missions. It is still a SAR-capable craft, however, if during a patrol mission the crew receives a rescue request, the onboard specialist moves from the console to the winch while the air rescuer prepares for the intervention.
DINO MARCELLINO
MILITARY SAR SPECIAL EDITION
DINO MARCELLINO
Mantas This two-engine aircraft is an excellent maritime ATR-42MP on Pescara Air Base patrol platform, and is equipped with an airborne consists of seven people: two pilots, the two systems operators and the tactical observation and surveillance (ATOS) system, which is integrated tactical co-ordinator, plus two technicians/observers. with side-looking airborne radar (SLAR) and electro-optical surveillance The plane can also contribute to SAR missions, as in addition to carrying and tracking (EOST) sensing systems, and the Daedalus Airborne Thematic out the search phase, it can deploy inflatable rafts. Launching them is a Map system. The SLAR is used for long-range detection of pollution complex activity that must be carried out in a very short time and with (hydrocarbons) at sea. extreme precision, requiring all seven crew members to work together. The equipment is operated by two crew members from a pair of An initial flyover is performed to detect the position of the person at sea consoles, who work alongside a tactical co-ordinator. The overall crew and to determine the environmental conditions. At the second pass, the launch takes place at a height of 300 ft and a speed of 140 knots, with a route calculated by the two console operators. Using the left-side rear door (the only door that can be opened in flight) up to five rafts can be launched, each having an eleven-seat capacity.
A winchman and rescuer in action over Adriatic sea
Multi-tasking at its best The Italian Coast Guard is on front-line of saving human lives at sea – screens around the world carry images of thousands of migrants saved each day, and of large-scale rescues such as of the shipwreck of the Norman Atlantic and the Costa Concordia. But those are just some of the areas in which the service is active, and not just at sea. Recent events on the Italian mainland, such as recent earthquakes and the Hotel Rigopiano disaster, have seen the Coast Guard helicopters operating in a mountain environment, demonstrating a high level of professionalism and competence.
www.airmedandrescue.com
35 35
MILITARY SAR SPECIAL EDITION
Helicopters have long been the primary tool in airborne rescue, thanks to their ability to pick up survivors from almost any location. While crews in the early days may have largely relied on visual scanning to locate casualties, technological advances mean the modern operator can outfit their aircraft with a range of sophisticated devices to aid personnel in the search phase of the mission. By James Paul Wallis
Data downlink
Thanks to a digital downlink, data and video from the helicopter’s onboard systems can be sent via microwave, satellite or mobile phone network transmission to personnel on the ground in real time, aiding decision making.
Search radar
As well as weather scanning and emergency transponder detection, radar can be used to pick up objects over a wide area. A powerful tool, especially for locating targets that stand out against the terrain, such as vessels at sea.
Beacon detector
Using an emergency beacon locator system (SAR direction finder), crews can pick up, and home in on, radio signals emitted by either personal beacons activated by survivors or units fitted to aircraft and seagoing vessels.
36
AIRMED&RESCUE
Searchlight
With a brightness measured in millions of candlepower, a helicopter searchlight can be used to light up a wide area or be concentrated in a focused beam, illuminating targets a kilometre or more away. A motorised gimbal mount means the light can be slaved to move in tandem with the camera turret. To optimise use with IR cameras or NVGs, some models feature an infrared filter, or infrared LEDs as seen on the latest designs. Other filters can be used to reduce fog glare or prevent loss of ground crew members’ night vision during hoisting.
NVGs
AIRMAN 1ST CLASS DONALD HUDSON
MILITARY SAR SPECIAL EDITION
Helmet-mounted night vision goggles (NVGs) amplify visible light, allowing pilots and rear crew to see their surroundings much more clearly. If the survivors are able to produce light from a source such as a small fire or mobile phone screen, the rescuers will be able to detect it from much greater distances using NVGs than would be possible with the naked eye. Newer ‘white phosphor’ models produce a clearer, whiter image than the black-and-green output of traditional units.
Camera turret (EO/IR)
Controlled from inside the aircraft, a motorised camera turret typically includes one or more electro-optical (EO) visible light cameras, with highpowered lenses to zoom in on distant objects in full colour. An infrared (IR) or ‘thermal imaging’ camera detects shorter wavelengths, with warm objects showing up brightly against dark, cooler backgrounds – ideal for spotting survivors in water or on exposed hillsides. Stabilised, computerised gimbals compensate for aircraft movement to hold the picture steady.
Mission console
For the ultimate in situational awareness and mission planning, a mission console allows an operator to monitor and control the helicopter’s sensors and cameras in order to make mission-critical decisions. With a large, computer-driven display, the station can include moving digital mapping as well as communications systems to speak to personnel in other aircraft or at ground/ sea level.
www.airmedandrescue.com
37
Diary Dates
BIGGLES SHIVERS
Send your diary dates to: info@airmedandrescue.com
21 February Policing from the Air Cardiff, UK
26 February - 1 March HAI Heli-Expo Las Vegas, Nevada, US
9 April International Aeromedical Transport – Concepts in Airborne Patient Management London, UK
25-26 April RETRIEVAL 2018 UK’s National Prehospital & Critical Care Transfer Conference Glasgow, UK
Stranger things A Reddit user going by the name searchandrescuewoods has detailed some of the spooky occurrences that have happened to him over his years in the SAR business, and some of them might genuinely send a shiver down your spine! Read on, if you’re feeling brave (and not about to go on a hike in the woods!)
Man with no face I was teamed up with another SAR officer because we’d received reports of bears in the area. We were looking for a guy who hadn’t come home from a climbing trip when he was supposed to, and we ended up having to do some serious climbing to get to where we figured he’d be. We found him trapped in a small crevasse with a broken leg. It was not pleasant. He’d been there for almost two days, and his leg was very obviously infected. We were able to get him into a chopper, and I heard from one of the EMTs that the guy was absolutely inconsolable. He kept talking about how he’d been doing fine, and when he’d gotten to the top, a man had been there. He said the guy had no climbing equipment, and he was wearing a parka and ski pants. He walked up to the guy, and when the guy turned around, he said he had no face. It was just blank. He freaked out, and ended up trying to get off the mountain too fast, which is why he’d fallen. He said he could hear the guy all night, climbing down the mountain and letting out these horrible muffled screams. That story really bothered me. I’m glad I wasn’t there to hear it. 38 38
Behind you One of the scariest things I’ve ever had happen to me involved the search for a young woman who’d gotten separated from her hiking group. We were out until late at night, because the dogs had picked up her scent. When we found her, she was curled up under a large rotted log. She was missing her shoes and pack, and she was clearly in shock. She didn’t have any injuries, and we were able to get her to walk with us back to base ops. Along the way, she kept looking behind us and asking us why ‘that big man with black eyes’ was following us. We couldn’t see anyone, so we just wrote it off as some weird symptom of shock. But the closer we got to base, the more agitated this woman got. She kept asking me to tell him to stop ‘making faces’ at her. At one point she stopped and turned around and started yelling into the forest, saying that she wanted him to leave her alone. She wasn’t going to go with him, she said, and she wouldn’t give us to him. We finally got her to keep moving, but we started hearing these weird noises coming from all around us. It was almost like coughing, but more rhythmic and deeper. It was almost insect-like, I don’t really know how else to describe it. When we were within sight of base operations, the woman turns to me, and her eyes are about as wide as I can imagine a human could open them. She touches my shoulder and says, ‘He says to tell you to speed up. He doesn’t like looking at the scar on your neck.’ I have a very small scar on the base of my neck, but it’s mostly hidden under my collar, and I have no idea how this woman saw it. Right after she says it, I hear that weird coughing right in my ear, and I just about jumped out of my skin. I hustled her into the base, trying not to show how freaked out I was, but I have to say I was really happy when we left the area that night.
21-24 May Pav-Con Police Aviation Conference 2018 Warsaw, Poland
22-24 May Maritime Search & Rescue Conference Helsinki, Finland
23 May Australian & New Zealand Search & Rescue Conference Star Gold Coast, Australia
12-14 June AIRMED World Congress Warsaw, Poland
26-28 June Search and Rescue Europe London, UK
9-14 July ALEA Expo 2018 Airborne Law Enforcement Association Louisville, Kentucky, US
10-12 July International Search & Rescue Conference 2018 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 7-9 September SAREX 2018 El Dorado, California, US
19-20 September The Emergency Services Show 2018 Birmingham, UK
22-24 October Air Medical Transport Conference Phoenix, Arizona, US
AIRMED&RESCUE
SERVICE DIRECTORY
www.airmedandrescue.com
39 39
Ace Air & Ambulance (Pvt) Ltd. James Halsted – Managing Director 2 Mount Road, Avondale, Harare, ZIMBABWE tel: +263 (4) 302 141 tel: +263 (782) 999 901/2/3/4
email: james@ace-ambulance.com website: www.ace-ambulance.com
AMREF Flying Doctors Dr Bettina Vadera – Medical Director Wilson Airport, LangataRoad, PO Box 18617, Nairobi, KENYA tel: +254 20 6000 090 fax: +254 20 344 170
email: emergency@flydoc.org website: www.flydoc.org
Awesome Air Evac
AIR AMBULANCE (ASIA-PACIFIC)
AIR AMBULANCE (AFRICA)
SERVICE DIRECTORY
Asia Air Ambulance Mr. Toranit Sripal – Managing Director Asia Air Ambulance Co. Ltd., Bangkok599/59 Ratchadaphisek Road, Jatujak, Bangkok 10900, THAILAND tel: +668 9896 9000 fax: +662 192 1801
EDS AVIATION PTE LTD
AVIATION
tel: +65 9836 3265 fax: +65 6846 9542
ER24
tel: +65 6483 5412 fax: +65 6734 1338
Peter Elliott – Fixed Wing Operations Manager PO Box 15166, City East, QLD 4002, AUSTRALIA
Cambridge Manor Office Park, Manor 1, Stone Haven Road, C/o Witkoppen & Stone Haven Roads, Sandton, Paulshof, SOUTH AFRICA email: flight@er24.co.za website: www.er24.co.za
Medic’Air International
tel: +61 7 5553 5955 fax: +61 7 5553 5965
Dr Li Tao – Medical Director
Dar El Bacha - Tizougarine 5, 40000 Marrakech Medina, MOROCCO email: operations@medic-air.com website: www.medic-air.com
To have your company listed in our service directory contact the sales department now: sales@airmedandrescue.com +44 (0)117 925 51 51 (opt.1)
40 40
AIRMED&RESCUE
email: ops@lifeflight.org.au website: www.LifeFlight.org.au
Medic’Air International 每递安国际
Dr Jean-Philippe MATTEI – Medical Director
tel: +212 5 24 38 13 88 fax: +212 524 428 436
email: prithpal@flyingdoctorsasia.com website: www.flyingdoctorsasia.com
LifeFlight 24/7 Flight Desk
tel: +27 (0) 10 205 3100 fax: +27 (0) 866 781 507
email: info@eds-aviation.com website: www.eds-aviation.com
Prithpal Singh – CEO , Director A’Posh Bizhub, 1 Yishun Industrial St 1, #08-03, SINGAPORE, 768160
Hanger 104C, Gate C, Lanseria Airport, Lanseria, SOUTH AFRICA email: rescue@awesomeairevac.com website: www.awesomeairevac.com
Shik – Managing Director 33 Ubi Avenue, #08-13, Vertex Tower B, SINGAPORE, 408868
Flying Doctors Asia
Shane Marais – General Manager
tel: +27 11 430 1777
email: operations@asiaairambulance.com website: www.asiaairambulance.com
885 Renmin Road, Huaihai China Building, Room 808, 200010 Shanghai, CHINA tel: +86 2163 558289 fax: +86 2163 558285
email: operations@medic-air.com website: www.medic-air.com
Medical Wings Dr.Sura Jaidwatee, M.D. – Medical Flight Manager 222 Don Mueang International Airport Office Building 3rd Floor, Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Sanambin, Don Mueang, Bangkok 10210, THAILAND tel: +662 247 3392 fax: +662 535 4734
email: m.w@medicalwings.com website: www.medicalwings.com
AIR AMBULANCE (EUROPE)
SERVICE DIRECTORY
Air Alliance Medflight GmbH
tel: +49 170 366 4933 fax: +49 2736 4428 45
Eva Kluge – Director of Sales & Business Development
Volker Lemke –Director Sales and Marketing CSO
SIEGERLAND AIRPORT, Werfthalle G1, 57299 Burbach, GERMANY
Flughafenstasse. 124; 90411 Nuremberg; GERMANY
email: e.kluge@air-alliance.de website: www.air-alliance.de
AIRLEC Air Espace
tel: +335 56 34 02 14 fax: +335 56 55 98 18
FAI – rent-a-jet AG
tel: +49 911 36009 31 fax: +49 911 36009 59
GlobalMed International
Paul Tiba – Managing Director
Gert Muurling – CEO & Medical Director
Zone Aviation Générale, 33700 Mérignac Cidex 05 FRANCE
Auf Roedern 7c, 56283 Pfaffenheck, GERMANY
email: paul.tiba@airlecairespace.com website: www.airlecairespace.com
Capital Air Ambulance
tel: +212 5 24 38 13 88 fax: +212 524 428 436
Irena Dimitrijevic – Marketing & Sales Mündelheimer Weg 50, D-40472, Düsseldorf, GERMANY
Airport House, Exeter International Airport, EX5 2BD, UK email: sales@capitalairambulance.co.uk website: www.capitalairambulance.co.uk
DRF Luftrettung / German Air Rescue
email: operations@medic-air.com website: www.medic-air.com
Jet Executive International Charter
Lisa Humphries – Sales Director
tel: +44 845 055 2828 fax: +44 1392 350 039
email: Volker.lemke@fai.ag website: www.fai.ag
tel: +49 211 602 7775 fax: +49 211 602 77766
email: sales@jetexecutive.com website: www.jetexecutive.com
Malteser Service Center
German Air Rescue – Claim-Variante rot / schwarz
German Air Rescue
tel: +49 7007 3010 fax: +49 7007 3119
Dr. Peter Huber – CEO Rita-Maiburg-Str. 2, D-70794 Filderstadt, GERMANY email: ops@drf-luftrettung.de website: www.drf-luftrettung.de/air-ambulance
EURO LINK GmbH
Johannes Hoischen – International Network and Repatriation
Malteser Service Center Kalker Hauptstr. 222, 51103 Köln, GERMANY tel: +49 221 98 22 333 fax: +49 221 98 22 339
Medic’Air International Dr Herve Raffin – General Manager 35 rue Jules Ferry, 93170 Bagnolet, Paris, FRANCE
Dr. Friedrich Renner – Medical Director Allgemeine Luftfahrt, D -85356 München Flughafen, GERMANY tel: +49 89 6137 2103 fax: +49 89 6137 2106
email: info@flyeurolink.de website: www.FlyEuroLink.de
European Air Ambulance
tel: +352 26 26 00 fax: +352 26 26 01
email: ambulance@malteser.org website: www.malteser-service-center.de
tel: +33 141 72 1414 fax: +33 148 57 1010
email: operations@medic-air.com website: www.medic-air.com
North Flying a/s
Patrick Schomaker – Director Sales & Marketing
Jesper Kragelund – Sales Manager
Luxembourg Airport, B.P.24, L-5201, Sandweiler, LUXEMBOURG
North Flying Terminal, Aalborg Airport, DK-9400, Nørresundby, DENMARK
email: alert@air-ambulance.com website: www.air-ambulance.com
tel: +45 9632 2900 fax: +45 9632 2909
email: jkr@northflying.com website: www.northflying.com
www.airmedandrescue.com
41 41
Quick Air Jet Charter GmbH Philipp Schneider – Account Manager Hangar 3, Cologne Airport, 51147 Cologne, GERMANY tel: +49 2203 955 700 fax: +49 2203 955 7020
email: ops@quickair.de website:www.quickair.de
Rescue Wings Malta
AIR AMBULANCE (NORTH AMERICA)
AIR AMBULANCE (EUROPE)
SERVICE DIRECTORY
AMR Air Ambulance John “Jay” Paladino – General Manager
8001 South InterPort Blvd., Suite 150, Englewood, CO 80112, USA tel: +1 720 875 9182 fax: +1 720 875 9183
Global Jetcare, Inc. Bart Gray – President 15421 Technology Dr. Brooksville, FL 34604, USA
Andrew Lee – International Business Executive
186 Ix Xatt Santa Maria Estate Mellieha MLH 2771, MALTA tel: +356 2703 4129 dir. tel: +356 999 43 112
email: andrew.lee@er24.co.za
Swiss Air-Rescue (Rega)
tel: +1 352 799 7771 fax: +1 352 799 7776
Mike Honeycutt – President 2561 Rescue Way, Brooksville, FL 34604, USA
Rega-Center, PO Box 1414, CH-8058 Zurich, SWITZERLAND email: stefan.becker@rega.ch website: www.rega.ch
Tyrol Air Ambulance
tel: +1 352 796 2540 fax: +1 352 796 2549
Carlos Salinas – CEO Suite 100, 7777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33434, USA
Fuerstenweg 180, A-6026 InnsbruckAirport, AUSTRIA
AIR AMBULANCE (NORTH AMERICA)
email: taa@taa.at website: www.taa.at
Aeromedevac Air Ambulance
tel: +1 786 619 1268
email: awilliams@aeromedevac.com website: www.aeromedevac.com
AirEvac International
Stuart Hayman – CEO 2101 W. Commercial Blvd., Suite 1500, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309, USA tel: +1 954 730 9300 fax: +1 954 485 6564
42 42
AIRMED&RESCUE
email: info@aeiamericas.com website: www.aeiamericas.com
email: operations@flyreva.com website: www.flyreva.com
Skyservice Air Ambulance David Ewing – Senior Vice President, Global Markets
Raul Mendoza – President / CEO 8001 South InterPort Blvd., Suite 150, Englewood, CO 80112, USA tel: +1 619 754-6755 fax: +1 619 330 4551
email: operations@jet-rescue.com website: www.medjetsUSA.com
REVA Inc
Adam Williams – President Gillespie Field Airport, 681 Kenney Street, El Cajon, CA 92020,USA tel: +(800) 462 0911 fax: +(619) 284 7918
email: ops@jeticu.com website: www.jeticu.com
Jet-Rescue Air Ambulance
Manfred Helldoppler – Managing Director
tel: +43 512 22422 100 fax: +43 512 288 888
email: bart@globaljetcare.com website: www.globaljetcare.com
JET ICU
Stefan Becker – Head of Corporate Development
tel: +41 44 654 33 11 fax: +41 44 654 33 22
email: info@AMRAirAmbulance.com website: www.AMRAirAmbulance.com
Montreal/PE Trudeau Int Airport, 9785 Avenue Ryan, MONTREAL (Quebec), H9P 1A2, CANADA tel: +1 514 497 7000 fax: +1 514 636 0096
email: alert@skyservice.com website: www.skyserviceairambulance.com
AAMS 909 N. Washington Street, Suite 410, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA tel: +(703) 836-8732 fax: +(703) 836-8920
website: www.aams.org
IAFCCP Monica Newman – Executive Director 4835 Riveredge Cove, Snellville, GA 30039, USA
GROUND TRANSPORT - MEDICAL
tel: +770-979-6372 fax: +770-979-6500
website: www.iafccp.org
Gateway International EMS Oliver L. Müller – Managing Director 600 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington DC, 20003, USA tel: +1-202-499-2294 fax: +1-201-205-2239
email: oliver.mueller@gateway-ems.com website: www.gateway-ems.com
LifeMed Worldwide
tel: +1-305-501-2009
MEDICAL ESCORT ON COMMERCIAL AIRLINES
ASSOCIATIONS
SERVICE DIRECTORY
AMREF Flying Doctors Dr Bettina Vadera – Medical Director Wilson Airport, Langata Road, PO Box 18617, Nairobi, KENYA tel: +254 20 6000 090 fax: +254 20 344 170
European Air Ambulance Patrick Schomaker – Director Sales & Marketing
Luxembourg Airport, B.P.24, L-5201, Sandweiler, LUXEMBOURG tel: +352 26 26 00 fax: +352 26 26 01
email: alert@air-ambulance.com website: www.air-ambulance.com
GlobalMed International Gert Muurling – CEO & Medical Director Auf Roedern 7c, 56283 Pfaffenheck, GERMANY tel: +49 6742 897 425 fax: +49 3212 100 5018
email: info@globalmed-international.com website: www.globalmed-international.com
LIFESUPPORT Patient Transport
Leandro Pires – CEO
Graham Williamson – CEO
990 Biscayne Blvd. Suite 502 Miami, FL 33132, USA
VANCOUVER – TORONTO – HONOLULU
email: www.lifemedworldwide.com website: www.lifemedworldwide.com
One Call Medical Transport
tel: +1 250 947 9641 fax: +1 877 288 2908
email: ops@ocmt.com website: www.ocmt.com
To have your company listed in our service directory contact the sales department now: sales@airmedandrescue.com +44 (0)117 925 51 51 (opt.1)
email: graham.williamson@LifeSupportTransport.com website: www.LifeSupportTransport.com
Medical Wings
24 Hour Worldwide Ground Transports 3815 E Main St., Suite C St. Charles, IL 60174, USA tel: +1 630 444 2100 fax: +1 630 823 2900
email: emergency@flydoc.org website: www.flydoc.org
Dr.Sura Jaidwatee, M.D. – Medical Flight Manager 222 Don Mueang International Airport Office Building 3rd Floor, Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Sanambin, Don Mueang, Bangkok 10210, THAILAND tel: +1 250 947 9641 fax: +1 877 288 2908
email: graham.williamson@LifeSupportTransport.com website: www.LifeSupportTransport.com
Prime Nursing Care, Inc. Franziska Hollenstein – CEO / Founder 1918 Harrison Street, Suite 215, Hollywood, Florida, 33020, USA tel: + 1 754 999 0460 fax: + 1 754 222 5051
email: contact@primenursingcare.com website: www.primenursingcare.com
www.airmedandrescue.com
43 43
Saving Lives. Anytime, Anywhere.
ADVERT LEFT
169 Lives depend on you. The AW169 is ideally suited to life-saving primary and secondary EMS missions anytime, anywhere. Easily adaptable, rapidly configurable and uniquely designed around patients’ needs; the AW169 ensures that air medical professionals can provide the best care at the most critical moments. Inspired by the vision, curiosity and creativity of the great master inventor - Leonardo is designing the technology of tomorrow.
leonardocompany.com Helicopters | Aeronautics | Electronics, Defence & Security Systems | Space