Air. Currents. CareFlight of Miami Valley Hospital Expands Their Fleet. By Kathy Bennett, RN, EMT-P

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1 Air Issue Currents caption CareFlight of Miami Valley Hospital Expands Their Fleet By Kathy Bennett, RN, EMT-P Premier Health Partners and Miami Valley Hospital CareFlight Air and Mobile Services recently added a fourth Dauphine helicopter to their fleet. This aircraft sports the tail number of N625CF and a blue and black corporate color scheme. It is a remarkable feet in length from nose to tail rotor and towers feet from the ground to the top of the blades. The enclosed tail rotor system measures 3.5 feet in diameter. Our new helicopter weighs in at a staggering 9480 pounds and has the continued on inside

2 The Tail Rotor Guard By Meredith Penn, RN, EMT-P A new addition to our scene safety is the designation of a Tail Rotor Guard. Upon landing at a scene, a member of the CareFlight crew will request that one member of the emergency response personnel be designated to function as the aircraft Tail Rotor Guard. This dedicated person will be briefed on the following: The Tail Rotor Guard should stand at least 50 feet away from the nose of the aircraft facing the pilot The Tail Rotor Guard will remain in this position the entire time the rotor blades are turning and the crew is on scene. Do not allow anyone to approach the aircraft without permission from the pilot or a crewmember Be aware that anyone approaching the aircraft must be accompanied by a crewmember The CareFlight crew will assign personnel to help carry the stretcher to the aircraft Exit in the same direction that you approached the aircraft Hearing and eye protection are recommended when working around the running aircraft Most importantly, should any unauthorized person approach the aircraft, the Tail Rotor Guard will use the Federal Aviation Administration approved hand signals to notify the pilot to immediately shut down the aircraft. Cut Engines/Rotor Hand Signals Position both arms and hands level with shoulder. Move one hand across throat, palm downward, and make a cutting movement to signal the pilot to shut down the aircraft engines. References: Air Methods Corporation Operations Manual BA-5R-2/ Signals Used For Aircraft Movement on the Ramp. Retrieved November 30, Tail Rotor Guard Card By Jennifer Schueler, RN, EMT-P Safety is our priority at CareFlight Air and Mobile Services. Our department, in compliance with Air Methods Corporation our vendor and provider of pilots and mechanics, adopted a tail rotor guard policy. This was necessary because the pilot s peripheral vision is limited while in the cockpit and is non-existent to the rear of the aircraft. A tail rotor guard is responsible for preventing people from coming into contact with the tail section of the aircraft. Flight crew members are responsible for designating a person to be a tail rotor guard while our aircraft is on scene with the engines running. Flight crews will exit the aircraft and upon their approach of the EMS crews, will request that a person be designated as a tail rotor guard. The flight crew will hand that person a laminated Tail Rotor Guard card explaining the responsibilities of that position. The tail rotor guard policy Miami Valley Hospital The Region s Leader

3 Operated By Helipad Maintenance By Meredith Penn, RN, EMT-P Helipads should be clear of ice, debris, standing water, and snow. In the winter months, it is a good idea to perform a daily check of the helipad for these conditions. Below zero temperatures and or mild temperatures accompanied by wind chill factors driving the temperatures below freezing is a good time to inspect the helipad. Other meteorological conditions that raise concern for possible helipad maintenance issues include moisture in the air such as humidity, precipitation of any type, fog, ice fog, or freezing fog. In the event of continuous snowfall, helipads should be cleaned once the snow has ceased. Urea should be placed on the helipad because salt is corrosive to the aircraft. Treating the helipad with urea prior to sunset or with the onset of freezing temperatures is recommended as urea is not effective in temperatures below zero. As the temperatures warm during the coming months, it is advisable to visually inspect the helipad for any paint and surface damage. A non-glossy, non-skid paint, containing grit is the choice for a helipad. During the winter months we prefer a landing zone that is clear of snow. Blowing snow from the rotor wash can produce white out conditions and delay or prohibit landing. Often the pilot may dissipate a very light snow on descent to the landing zone, thus allowing the aircraft to land safely. A landing zone of packed snow is preferred over loose snow with the awareness that even hard packed snow can pose a threat of ice and treacherous walking conditions. requests that the tail rotor guard remain at least 50 feet away from the aircraft and somewhere between the 11 o clock and 1 o clock position off the nose of the helicopter. This position provides the pilot with a full visual field of the tail rotor guard designee and assures him and his crew that the tail of the aircraft is safe. A tail rotor guard is an integral part of the overall safety for all of us involved in expediting patient care. The safety session presentations provided by CareFlight Air and Mobile will include the details of this responsibility as well as a personal card for all who attend. Thank you for performing the duties of tail rotor guard. This vital function assists in keeping your scene and our helicopter S A F E. These duties are: S Stay at least fifty (50) feet away from the helicopter. Remain within view of the pilot. A All personnel approaching the helicopter must be accompanied by a flight nurse. Do not allow anyone to approach without permission from the pilot or a flight nurse. F Follow all instructions from our flight nurses for assistance in loading patient(s) on board the helicopter. E Exit in the same direction that you approached the helicopter. By following these guidelines, our flight nurses will be able to assess and load your patient(s) into the helicopter in the safest manner possible.

4 Andy Hawk, MD It s Here: The New MVH Mobile Education Lab By Andrew C. Hawk, MD, Medical Director, CareFlight MVH recently took delivery of its new Mobile Education Lab. This state-of-the-art EMS, hospital, and community education resource is the culmination of two years of planning, designing, and coordinating. It is also the new home of istan, the latest generation of wireless human patient simulators. Currently parked at the Miami Valley Hospital South campus, the vehicle is divided into three compartments. The front section is a simulated hospital patient care room that doubles as a conference area. In the middle, the control room contains the electronic equipment necessary to remotely operate and video-monitor istan. And in the back, an EMS unit has been replicated to provide a realistic simulation environment for all levels of pre-hospital care providers. For more information and to inquire about utilizing the MVH Mobile Education Lab, please call Marcia Roemer (CareFlight Outreach Coordinator) at or Mike Callihan (MVH EMS Coordinator) at Look for it at a fire house, EMS station, or hospital near you. CareFlight Air and Mobile Air Currents

5 CareFlight of Miami Valley Hospital Expands Their Fleet (continued) capability of holding 309 gallons of fuel while cruising at speeds greater than 170 miles per hour. This aircraft was designed with shock resistant composite materials, dual jet engines, a terrain avoidance systems (TAS) with GPS navigation, traffic collision avoidance system, radar altimeter, satellite position tracking system, color weather radar, multi-agency radio communication system (MARCS), dual sliding rear doors, climate control, and two patient transport capability. The interior of this aircraft houses medical equipment including cardiac monitors, defibrillators, a mechanical ventilator, intravenous infusion pumps, oxygen, and various cardiac and medical medications. These features unite in providing safe, fast, premium air medical transportation and care for the trauma and critically ill patient. Outreach Update Marcia Roemer, RN, EMT-P Annual Fire and EMS Chief s Dinner Our Fire and EMS Chief s dinner was held on October 14, 2009 and was a huge success with 100 in attendance. Candy Skidmore, Director of CareFlight Air and Mobile Services, and John Holland, Air Methods Interim Program Aviation Manager were keynote speakers. On the Road Wayne County, Indiana Over 50 participants attended the On the Road to Wayne County, Indiana educational program on November 14, 2009 at Reid Hospital in Richmond, Indiana. Educational sessions included Airway Management, OB Emergencies, EMS Management of the Cardiac Patient and various trauma presentations discussing the care and management of patients involved in farming accidents, pediatric and traumatic head injuries. Auglaize County CareFlight s On the Road educational conference was held on February 20, Once again a very successful event was held at New Bremen High School where medical and trauma topics were presented to 100 participants from Auglaize and surrounding counties. The new Mobile Education Lab and state-of-the-art human patient simulator were on display for information and demonstrations. On the Road to Butler and Warren Counties April 17, 2010 at Atrium Medical Center, Middletown, Ohio Additional information about upcoming programs can be obtained by calling Marcia Roemer, CareFlight Outreach Manager, at (937) or by logging on to CareFlight s web site at mvh.org/careflight. Trauma and Critical Care Update The Trauma and Critical Care Update is scheduled for May 21, continued on back page Miami Valley Hospital The Region s Leader CareFlight Air and Mobile Air Currents

6 CareFlight Air and Mobile One Wyoming St. Dayton, Ohio Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Permit Number 79 Dayton, Ohio The Region s Leader RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Miami Valley Hospital One Wyoming Street Outreach Update (continued) Dayton, Ohio CareFlight (800) Drive Smart Programs Drive Smart programs for 2010 are now being scheduled. More than 35 Drive Smart programs were presented in Because of the anticipated large volume of requests, we will be unable to reschedule any programs that are cancelled due to weather issues. For more information, please call Marcia Roemer, CareFlight Outreach Manager, at (937) Aircraft Safety Sessions CareFlight encourages Fire and EMS agencies to continue to schedule safety sessions with the aircraft. Contact Dennis Broering at (937) to schedule aircraft safety sessions and public relations events. Spring Ride Along Due to staff orientation taking place at the same time the Ride Along program is usually held in the Spring, CareFlight must cancel the Spring session that had been scheduled from March 21 - May 8, Updates about the Fall Ride Along session can be found in the next issue of Air Currents as well as on CareFlight's web site at mvh.org/careflight. Medical Lectures and Training with Human Patient Simulator CareFlight continues to offer medical lectures and Sim Man/Sim Baby (Human Patient Simulator) labs with adult and pediatric Difficult Airway lectures at no charge to requesting departments. Please contact Marcia Roemer, Outreach Manager, for medical lecture topics, information, or to schedule at (937) Air Medical Safety and CEU Day One hundred and thirty participants enjoyed this first time conference, which was held on January 30, 2010 at Southern State College in Hillsboro, Ohio. This free safety conference was a joint venture presented by MedFlight, CareFlight and University Air Care & Mobile Care with featured speakers from all three air medical programs. Topics presented for 6 CEUs included Trauma in Pregnancy; Airway Management; Landing Zone Safety; Weather and Aviation; Keeping It Safe and Geriatric Trauma and Triage. Participants for this conference also voluntarily donated non-perishable food items to support Samaritan Outreach. Mary Boosalis President and Chief Executive Officer Candy Skidmore, RN CareFlight Program Director Beth Newman-Hill, RN CareFlight Program Manager Jennifer Schueler, RN Editor Kathy Bennett, RN Andrew C. Hawk, MD Meredeth Penn, RN Marcia Roemer, RN Jennifer Schueler, RN Contributing Writers Cindy Ratermann Photography Kelly Spitler Graphic Design Miami Valley Hospital Mission We will build healthier communities with others who share our commitment to provide high-quality, cost-effective health care services. Operated By M-COM00435

EMS AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS

Monterey County EMS System Policy Policy Number: 4070 Effective Date: Jan. 1, 2015 Review Date: June 30, 2018 EMS AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS I. AUTHORITY California Code of Regulations, Title 22, Division 9,