AeroMed comes to Graafschap FD

If you were outside last night around 6:15, you may have seen a medical helicopter circle and then land behind the firehouse. There was no emergency, but the atmosphere was mission-serious until the rotors stopped turning and the flight crew gave us the all-clear to approach.

Our own Firefighter Ben Draper set up the training session weeks ago with officials from AeroMed, based in Grand Rapids and Traverse City. While enroute, the pilot contacted GFD by radio when they were 10 minutes out requesting a landing zone location, wind speed/velocity, and any special hazards. FF Draper used a portable walkie to talk directly with pilot and relay the information.

Once safely on the ground, the pilot who is a former U.S. Army pilot went over the aircraft and its systems. He showed us where the emergency shut-off switches and rotor brake were in case he became unconscious during a hard landing or crash. He also told us not to take it personal if a pilot chooses not to use a designated landing zone we would set up. Coming in from a much higher altitude, the pilot may see hazards we could not or see a much better place to land within proximity to the scene.

The medical flight crew went over their individual credentials and what each position was responsible for on the ground and once in the air. Besides normal paramedic/ICU nurse supplies and medications, the crew carries whole blood products and paralytics which aid in placing an advanced airway (RSI). Response time to our area is about 25 minutes, including approximately 10 minutes to get off the ground and 15 minutes in the air. About 20% of their missions are to trauma scenes, while the rest are transfers from facility to facility.

After the helicopter headed back to their base for shift change, one of their outreach instructors led a PowerPoint lecture on some of the more detailed safety procedures around the aircraft. This valuable training session was also shared with the FrontLiners EMT class being held at Overisel Fire Department. Field trips are a great way for new students to see what is available in the field. Not every EMT student gets to see a helicopter up close until they are on their first scene with one. Four of our own firefighters from GFD are actually in the class. Mutual aid partnerships like these with other agencies act as force multipliers when incidents demand more resources from every day calls to large-scale disasters.