Medivac Helicopter Landing Zone Class

[vroc13091]

A little plug for one of the Motorcycle Groups I ride with. (Loosely Nomad related as I do my support using my Nomad) If you ride you're welcome to be a guest rider on one of our support events.

The Motorcycle Special Events Team - Texas sponsored it's 10th Annual Helicopter Landing Zone Class this past Saturday Feb 9th free and open to the public. Average attendance is around 300 each year. This class offers free 3 hours of continuing education credits for Texas EMS, LEOs, and RNs. (Those of you in these profession know how hard it is to get those CEs to maintain your certifications)


I volunteer as an EMT for this group responding to EMS calls on my Nomad.

MSET-TX is a Texas Registered Emergency Medical First Responder Organization supporting community events here in Texas. Austin Travis/County EMS is our transport provider and all our medical members are cleared to practice under A/TC EMS protocols and are volunteer operating under the direction of Dr. Ed. Rachet, A/TC EMS Medical Director.

Here is a short news story on Austin 8 news about Saturday's class.

http://www.news8austin.com/content/t...sp?ArID=200009


The course teaches many elements of dealing with helicopters in different situations.

2/9/2008 4:14 PM
By: Kendra Mendez

Propellers in full force, descending on a mission in North Austin -- it's a sight to see if you never have.

Each year, the Motorcycle Special Events Team (www.mset-tx.org), a group of first responders, brings in emergency helicopters to give hands-on lessons. This is the 10th annual Helicopter Landing Zone and Safety Class.

Motorcycle Special Events Team's Barry Jucha said the first hour of an incident is essential.

"The first hour of a critical patient is the most critical," Jucha said. "It's called the golden hour."

And this is a golden opportunity for hundreds of emergency personnel to learn how to get helicopters in and out of emergency situations safely when seconds count.

"The faster you can get a patient packaged, put in the helicopter and rushed to the hospital, the greater the chance of survival is," Jucha said.

PHI STAT AIR's Traci Forister said the course teaches many elements of dealing with helicopters in different situations.

"We are teaching them indications for requesting, how to be safe around the helicopter, how to operate safely, what the rules are for approaching the helicopter and walking away from the helicopter," Forister said.

Besides the pros, Boy Scouts and regular people interested in saving lives also learn the basics.

Boy Scout Adam Zeevi said he learned "not to stay too close, how much area there has to be around a helicopter when it takes off and lands."

Participants took turns practicing loading and unloading off of stretchers and fastening patients securely.

"EMS helicopters actually land in residential areas -- on roadways -- and so it is important for the general public to be aware of how to be safe around the helicopter," Forister said.

These are important lessons to learn because it may not be a stranger you're saving, Jucha said.

"You know you might be driving down the road, God forbid something happen to your spouse, and you have to call a helicopter in," he said. "If you know how to do it, you might save that person's life."