Turn Around - a digital story by Rhett Draehn

I was doing my quarterly competencies and saw this video.  This subject is very passionate to me and I felt compelled to share this video.  Safety can not be after thought, it can not be something that we just talk about, it has to be something we practice each and every day.  I'd like to know that each and everyone of you watch this video and take it to heart.  It is so easy to just go with the flow.  It is to easy to not speak up.  If you don't call it off for yourself do it for your family, friends and co-workers.

First Photos for the Ball Cap Contest for April!!!

Thanks for the pictures Brandy!!!

So lets hear it... Does Brandy deserve the Ball Cap?  Remember the most like/comments the better.  Share the Page and get the buzz started.  You could win!!

And the Photo Contest Results are in...

The results are in...  Amanda P. is the winner with "CF 18 doing work!" has won with the most votes. Your T-shirt is on it's way!  Congratulations to you Amanda!

Make sure you send us a picture of you in your new shirt!!

New look for our blog...

    We realized that the look didn't make it easy to read or navigate so we changed it up a little bit.  Let us know what you think or if you have some suggestions.  Hoping to get some more content posted for everybody.  It's just been tough while trying to fly and work the ground.  Promise it is coming soon.  We are working on trying to develop even more "departments" and give everybody something they would like to have.

    Our vision is big and when we get it together we think you will be happy with what we are working towards.  Make sure you give us your thoughts and comments.  The dream is to build what we all have been looking for.   A one stop location where you can find the resources you want and to make it a fun place to check out.


Thanks for you patience and your input,

Helicopter EMS

Pictures, Pictures, and more Pictures!!!

Make sure that you like the photos on our FB page to vote for the Picture to win the T-Shirt!!

New Monitor in service!!!

Super stoked to get the new monitor outfitted and deployed.  Really looking forward to getting to use this one in the field.  Seems to be so user friendly both in function and in weight!!  Have you had any experience with these and any suggestions or things to keep in mind?  

Compact and light weight, what a combination!  Thanks Boss we Love them!!

Here is a bright one for you!

This is pretty colorful!

Thanks David! Nice Picture!

Pretty Helicopter!!

Thanks David!

It's open enrollment time!!! What a Joke! It should be open your wallet time!!!

   I'm gonna start off by saying that I am sorry for what is probably going to be a rant of unseen proportions...  So, brace yourself and let me know if you feel in anyway the same as I do or should I just be happy to have a job and some insurance.

    We just got off of a webinair going over our NEW insurance.  OMG!!!  I am absolutely floored...  I mean our Premiums (and that is an understatement) have shot through the roof.  Not only have they gone up but, so have our deductibles and our out of pocket expenses. 

    

     My partners out of pocket expenses, because she lives in an out of network area, will be just short of half of her take home pay.  Mine aren't much better... You have to be kidding me!!  I thought that it was called the Affordable Care Act!!!   There is nothing affordable about this kind of health coverage... 

    Why do I have to pay incredibly high premiums and get substandard coverage?  Why is it that I have the most dangerous job in health care, short of being a combat medic and get the worst insurance?  Now lets talk about life insurance.  Yea, the company pays for it but, $100,000....  Really?  Are you kidding me?  That's all I'm worth to you?  I would hope that I generate several times that much in income for the company every year...  Even the military gets $400,000 (and not like that is even enough)...  Sure we can purchase more but, then because of the job we do the premium is through the roof and they cap how much we can get!  

    It is horrible for anybody not to have health insurance.  I have no problem paying a little more to help out those who are less fortunate than me.   But, who is it that came up with this kind of system.   I have to chose between contributing to my 401k or purchasing health insurance...  Oh, there isn't a chose, I have to buy insurance...  So, I can retire on my Social Security...  Ya, like that will be there when I get to retirement age.  

    Ok, now that I have that out of my system... Well, sort of but, not really.  I am sure that I have struck a couple of nerves out there.  By all means, let me have it...  Agree or disagree...  I am sure there are both sides out there.  Or at least I hope so.  I'd hate to feel like I am some sort of radical conservative mad man.  I mean come on I'm nowhere near as bad as Uncle Ted, right?

Here is picture of a North Florida ship!!

North Florida Ship.

Training, Training, Training!!! That's the way to do it!!!

Here's a good one!

A shot of AirLife GA 9

Sweet shoot!!!!

Thanks Molly!

And here comes another one!!

It's up to the you guys!!!!

Who will win!

So here you go!

Amanda just submitted this one!  

Don't forget to like your favorites!!

And Here comes another one!!

Let's here what you think!!  Love getting them!!!

Pictures are starting to roll in!!! You better hurry!! Deadline is March 31st....

So here is one sent in today!!!  Let's here what you think!!  I can't wait to ship out the first FREE T-shirt!!

Tristate Careflgiht 18 doing work in Gallup NM!!!!

Here is a picture submitted by Tristate Careflight 18 out of Gallup NM!  T-Shirts are being worked on along with Hats, and some stickers!!  Keep following us to get more information on availability!! Keep the pictures coming!!

Here is the Helicopter EMS T-Shirt prototype!

I am hoping that this is going to motivate some of you to start clicking away.  Remember the more pictures you send the better your chances to win!  I can't wait to get them in and put my mine on!

"For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

So you want to win a free T-Shirt... Here's what you need to do..

Take an action shot, or just a posed shot of something EMS related.  We at Helicopter EMS always love the pictures of Helicopters(who doesn't) but, we want to see what you guys can come up with.  Be creative and use your imagination.  Now, with that said, always be respectful and remember if you win your name is going to be all over the web.  Above all, Have Fun!!  Send the pictures and videos to us at

helicopterems@gmail.com

Make sure to include your contact information so we can arrange to get your shirt to you as soon as we get them of the presses!

Here is our New Logo!!!

We are very excited about our new Logo and want to say thank you the Matt!  It is exactly what we where looking for.  Now that we have this the new T-shirt will be soon to follow.  Get your pictures and videos in to be the first to WIN yours free!

Looking for people interested in being interviewed for AMRM/CRM article.

If you are willing to participate in an interview for our up coming article on AMRM/CRM and have expertise in this area please send an email with your contact information to helicopterems@gmail.com.

We look forward to hearing from you!!

Fly Safe!!

Another Scenic View from the Office Window Today!!!

Any idea where we are at???  Don't forget to send in your pictures and videos...  I am hoping to get enough from everybody to have a contest and offer an inaugural T-shirt once I can get a design figured out.

“Dispatch, Go ahead and get a Helicopter started on this…”

  I have worked in several different types of EMS systems on nearly ever level throughout my career (27 plus yrs).  I have seen a big shift in how things are done, and, for the most part, it has been about improvement, providing better care and doing it in a timely manner. 

            With that being said, I have a question that has been spurred by some frustration on my part.  Please understand that this is just my anecdotal assessment and I am sure that there is a good reason why I have seen a hesitation to call for a helicopter to the scene.  I would like to hear from any and all of you out there.  It doesn’t matter to me what your level of training or experience is.  I don’t care if you are, like me, in your third decade of EMS or just starting your career, paid or volunteer, it doesn’t matter. Just tell me what goes into the decision to call for a helicopter where you work. 

             What I am saying is that I have seen countless times when there is a call for a significant trauma patient in a rural setting (some 30+ min response time) and the ambulance rolls out to the scene Code 3 (lights and siren).  Once on the scene, they realize that this is “really bad”.  Then they call for a helicopter and are given an ETA and decide to transport the patient or patients to the small local hospital, because the ETA of the helicopter/helicopters is about the same as the transport time to the small local hospital.   Then requiring transfer to a larger Trauma Facility and delaying definitive care.

            The next paragraph is just an example of several calls I have been involved with and not necessarily a particular one just representative of a particular type of scenario that seems to repeat itself.

            We have been put on stand-by and gone out to the helicopter with the rest of the crew waiting for the go, or no-go call.  Some 20-30 minutes later, we hear an ambulance running Code 3 by the airport where we are based.  We look at each other and shake our heads.  We could have been to the scene of the accident by this time.  We continue to wait to get the go or no go call.  Another 20 minutes goes by and then we are told to stand down.  We assume that the ambulance arrived to find the patient was not injured as bad as first thought.  After we go back inside we hear the ambulance returning in the other direction (again Code 3) another 20-30 minutes later.  We look at each other and again shake our heads.  Some more time passes and we get paged out for an inter-facility call from the local hospital to the nearest trauma facility.  After we arrive we find out that indeed this is the original patient we were put on stand-by for and then cancelled.  The patient is indeed “really bad” and probably won’t make it.  And the definitive care has been delayed not by minutes but, by over an hour.

I promise I am not a vulture who is trying to horn in on trauma calls.  I really just want to provide patients who are the unfortunate victims of some crazy accident the appropriate care for the injuries they have encountered.  This means getting them to the only cure for significant trauma.  A surgeon or team of surgeons and an operating room standing-by by the fastest means possible. I know what I would hope was done!

First, if you get sent out on something that is a long way from where you are posted or where the local hospital is and the incident is significant, or has the potential to be “really bad” why don’t responders request a helicopter right from the time they are dispatched?  Second, is it a state, local, service directed protocol or just dependent on the crew who is responding? 

I just want to conclude by saying that I am not trying to steal anybody’s thunder or generate more revenue for the company I work for.  I am just trying to figure out why people don’t try to move OUR patients to the right place as soon as possible.  If it was your family or loved one, what would you want the responders to do? 

Want to share your EMS pictures and videos?

We are looking for pictures and videos to share on the blog and FB page.  If you have any send them to us at helicopterems@gmail.com.  So, get on it and send them in so we can review them and get them back out to all of our followers.  I'm still working on getting some articles ready to put out as well.

Hang in there and CLICK away!

Fly Safe and Keep your nose in the wind!

Safety and Security… Who is responsible?

           

            How secure is your Helicopter, your Base or your Quarters?  Crew members bring a lot of personal items to work with them, often expensive items.  We assume that coworkers and others will not take them.  That is unless it is something left in the refrigerator, right? 

            Our employers provide expensive equipment and tools that allow us to do our jobs, not to mention the controlled drugs we are responsible for keeping secure.   Again, often we assume that everyone is as honest as we are.  Is this a flaw in our character or belief system?  Are we setting ourselves, and our employer up to be victims? 

Patients have faith that we will be honest and respect their belongings and personal property, as well as their personal information.  And as a general rule this belief is fair and well deserved.  Hopefully, by the time the Air Crew team members get to the point of being in this type of position, those less than trustworthy have been weeded out.  All of us have gone through countless hours of training about HIPPA and understand the repercussions of violating the plainly written rules and laws, as well as the unspoken ones.

We need to remember that not everyone has the same moral compass that we do.  Generally, this is against our nature and a hard pill to swallow.  But, we need to remember that only we can protect ourselves, our property and our equipment. 

It is a horrible feeling to go to your aircraft and find a piece of equipment that is vital to the operation stolen.  It may put us out of service and prevent us from responding to a request for help.  An incident like this may cost a person their life.  Not to mention it will cost the company money in both lost revenue and replacement cost for the equipment. 

So, whose job is it to ensure security of our equipment?  Is it yours?  Is it mine?  Or is it the responsibility of the company we are working for?  My answer is simple.  It is all of the above.  All of us have to assume responsibility for security.  It is ours, in that we should use all reasonable means to secure our equipment at all times.  If for some reason there is a flaw in the system, it is our responsibility to point out the flaw and provide a suggestion or resolution for the flaw.  Once we have provided the insight, it becomes the responsibility of those we reported the issue to and ours to follow up on.  

I have the expectation that the company I work for will provide me with a secure facility with reasonable mechanisms to ensure safety and security.   It is my responsibility to use these to safeguard my personal property, as well as the company’s equipment and property.  We are all human and prone to falling short from time to time.  That is why we work as a team.  The idea is that if one of us falls short, the others will pick up on it and address the issue.  We do this all the time when we are operating but, when we are relaxed and don’t feel in danger this can cause a failure. 

Both SAFETY and SECURITY are the responsibility of each of us.  Only we can protect ourselves, our partners, and our employers from danger.  It does not matter where that danger is coming from, it is up to us. Let’s step it up and watch out for each other.

Your comments are welcome and encouraged!  

Press Release – FAA Issues Final Rule to Improve Helicopter Safety

The following is taken directly from the FAA website

http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=15795

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today issued a final rule that requires helicopter operators, including air ambulances, to have stricter flight rules and procedures, improved communications, training, and additional on-board safety equipment. The rule represents the most significant improvements to helicopter safety in decades and responds to government’s and industry’s concern over continued risk in helicopter operations. 

“This is a landmark rule for helicopter safety,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.  “These improvements will better prepare pilots and better equip helicopters, ensuring a higher level of safety for passengers and crew.”

All U.S. helicopter operators, including air ambulances, are required to use stricter flying procedures in bad weather. This will provide a greater margin of safety by reducing the probability of collisions with terrain, obstacles or other aircraft.

Within 60 days, all operators will be required to use enhanced procedures for flying in challenging weather, at night, and when landing in remote locations. Within three years, helicopter air ambulances must use the latest on-board technology and equipment to avoid terrain and obstacles, and within four years, they must be equipped with flight data monitoring systems.

“This rule is a significant advancement in helicopter safety,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta.  “This rule will help reduce risk and help pilots make good safety decisions through the use of better training, procedures, and equipment.”

Under the new rule, all Part 135 helicopter operators are required to:

• Equip their helicopters with radio altimeters.
• Have occupants wear life preservers and equip helicopters with a 406 MHz Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) when a helicopter is operated beyond power-off glide distance from the shore.
• Use higher weather minimums when identifying an alternate airport in a flight plan.
• Require that pilots are tested to handle flat-light, whiteout, and brownout conditions and demonstrate competency in recovery from an inadvertent encounter with instrument meteorological conditions.

In addition, under the new rule, all air ambulance operators are required to:

• Equip with Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems (HTAWS).
• Equip with a flight data monitoring system within four years.
• Establish operations control centers if they are certificate holders with 10 or more helicopter air ambulances.
• Institute pre-flight risk-analysis programs.
• Ensure their pilots in command hold an instrument rating.
• Ensure pilots identify and document the highest obstacle along the planned route before departure.
• Comply with Visual Flight Rules (VFR) weather minimums, Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at airports/heliports without weather reporting, procedures for VFR approaches, and VFR flight planning.
• Conduct the flight using Part 135 weather requirements and flight crew time limitation and rest requirements when medical personnel are on board.
• Conduct safety briefings or training for medical personnel.

Since August 2004, the FAA has promoted initiatives to reduce risk for helicopter air ambulance operations (See FAA Fact Sheet). While accidents did decline in the years following that effort, 2008 proved to be the deadliest year on record with five accidents that claimed 21 lives. The FAA examined helicopter air ambulance accidents from 1991 through 2010 and determined 62 accidents that claimed 125 lives could have been mitigated by today's rule. While developing the rule, the FAA considered 20 commercial helicopter accidents from 1991 through 2010 (excluding air ambulances) that resulted in 39 fatalities. From 2011 through 2013, there were seven air ambulance accidents resulting in 19 fatalities and seven commercial helicopter accidents that claimed 20 lives.

The estimated cost of the final rule in present value for the air ambulance industry is $224 million with a total benefit of $347 million over 10 years. The cost for other commercial operators is $19 million with a total benefit of $83 million over 10 years.  There is no cost for any operators to use new Class G airspace weather minimums for visual flying but the benefit is $147 million over 10 years.

The rule responds to the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 and National Transportation Safety Board recommendations."

Subjects and goals for Helicopter EMS: As the Rotor Turns.

What’s this thing all about?

            That was probably the first thing you asked yourself when you saw this blog.  A lot of thought has gone into deciding to start this blog.  I will just touch on some of the ideas that will be in upcoming posts.

            I have found myself frustrated with some aspects of the HEMS(Helicopter Emergency Medical Services) environment and believe there are others who have similar concerns.  My intention is to keep this blog completely POSITIVE and only point out problems or observations with suggestions to make them better.  I invite positive and productive comments and feedback.  Any derogatory or overtly negative comments will be removed to maintain the positive nature of this blog.

            Safety is one of the biggest subjects I want to keep at the top of this blog.  I have been working in HEMS for many years and have been lucky more than once.  My desire is to help others learn from my experiences and mishaps.  Hearing about incidents in our industry concerns me, whether it is about an aircraft, ground ambulance, or anything else where one of our own was hurt.  This happens entirely to often and is almost always preventable. 

            Education, training, and clinical experiences are other topics that I feel are important.  It is so easy to become complacent.  I know this from my own experience.  Our shifts are either really busy and we do not feel like training or they are slow and we get into the “I’ll do it tomorrow” way of thinking.  I am hoping that we can help to motivate each other and share some good learning opportunities.

            Stress Management also comes to mind as something I would like to discuss. However, I am no expert at this and will be looking for any suggestions you may have to help with this topic.  I will be doing more research before I write about this subject.

            As you can see, I have a long list of subjects worthy of chatting about.  I do plan of posting a bio about myself, and how I came to be where I am.  I would love to hear about all of you.

            Check back often and keep in touch!!