MISSIONS - AIR AMBULANCE AND RESCUEA typical mission unfolds as follows:
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A medical or trauma emergency situation occurs and the local METRO is activated.
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Based on the information gathered by the METRO control room operators, a call is made to the AMS base either via landline, cell phone or base radio, dispatching the appropriate aircraft (fixed or rotor wing) depending on incident / mission requirement.
Rotor Wing Air Ambulance
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The METRO dispatcher provides the heli crew with info about: incident location, number of patients, types of injuries and resources on scene.
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The helicopter is moved from the hanger to the flight area. A maximum take off time of 5 min is allocated for primary response calls from the time of dispatch.
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A maximum take off time of 10 min is allocated for inter-facility transfers. This enables the crew to upload any specialised equipment required for the specific mission (incubator, ventilator etc.)
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At take-off the primary crewmember will make contact with the METRO dispatcher advising them of estimated time of arrival.
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Inflight the crew assists the pilot with navigation and detection of hazards (other aircraft, electrical wires etc.)
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On arrival at the scene, the ground crew or traffic officers secure a safe landing zone. If not already done, advanced life support is initiated on the patient.
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Continuous communication is maintained with METRO control regarding the patient's condition, allowing the referring and receiving facilities to be updated.
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Inflight the patients vital signs are monitored. On arrival at the receiving hospital a concise handover to the awaiting physician is given informing him/her of medication administered or changes in patient condition.
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Ground times at the scene / referring / receiving facility are kept to a minimum to ensure that the aircraft is available for the next emergency mission.
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On completion of a mission the heli crew returns to the AMS base to refuel, clean the interior and if necessary replenish disposable stock, at times responding from the hospital to the next mission.
