Helicopter Transport
and
Safety Information

Contacting Us

Helicopter Transport

WHO can launch/activate the Meducare Air Helicopter:

• Hospitals, physicians, nurses, EMS, FD, First Responders and Law Enforcement agencies can activate Meducare Air.

The 24-hour Communications Center relays calls from outlying facilities, physicians, EMS/Fire/Police Departments and industrials facilities to our duty crew. The Communications Specialists are trained by the National Association of Aeromedical Communication Specialists (NAACS). Every year the specialists process more than 10,000 calls. The call volume includes Advanced Life Support, Basic Life Support, Critical Care air and ground transports, and wheelchair transportation requests.

Helicopter Transport

The Meducare Air BK-117 helicopter is available for transporting patients within a 150-mile radius of Charleston, SC. With a cruising speed of approximately 150 miles per hour, Meducare Air can reach the outer edge of its service region ( map ) in just over an hour when:

• A patient's condition requires intensive medical attention enroute.
• Distance may cause serious delays in getting appropriate medical care
• Out-of-hospital time must be kept to a minimum.
• Road conditions, traffic congestion or inaccessibility hinders ground transportation
• Specialized equipment and/or procedures are required but not available via ground transportation services in your area
• No other suitable means of transportation are available in your area

Our twin jet engine helicopter can transport a pilot, two flight crew members and two adult patients (some restrictions apply to maximum load capacity).

When to Call for Meducare Air

• Multiple-system trauma
• Unresponsive to verbal stimulation
• Systolic blood pressure less than 90 mmHg
• Respiratory rate less than 10/min. or greater than 30/min.
• Pulse rate less than 60 bpm or greater than 120 bpm
• Entrapment (vehicular, industrial, residential or agricultural)
• Associated fatality in the accident vehicle
• Revised Trauma Score of 11 or less
• Transport time greater than 15 minutes
• Major burns
• Pediatric Emergencies
• Other surgical or medical emergencies

Special Situations:

The following situations may require direct discussions between the requesting agency/physician and the Meducare Air Flight Crew (Pilot and Medical Crew):

• Patient's weight exceeds 350 pounds
• Impending delivery of a newborn
• Prisoner and/or "suspect" who requires an armed guard/officer
• Hazardous Material Injuries
• Impending or confirmed Traumatic Arrest
• Off-shore or "long-line" rescues

Preparation for Helicopter Transport

• Our Communications Specialists will arrange transportation for a patient and crew for facilities without helipads. The patient should remain at the referring facility until the Meducare Air team arrives.
• When Meducare Air arrives, the person in charge of the patient's care should have patient condition information ready. Prepare a complete copy of medical records, a copy of the patient information sheet (face sheet) and all pertinent x-ray/CT films.
• Meducare Air policies require all trauma patients to be transported securely immobilized on a long spine board, regardless of x-ray interpretation.
• The Meducare Air team will explain the transport procedure to the patient and family. Due to limited space aboard our helicopter, family members cannot accompany the patient.

Meducare Air Flight Team

• Our Critical Care Flight Team consists of a Flight Nurse and Flight Paramedic who are specially trained for air medical transport.
• The team can manage a maximum of two patients according to patient acuity from accident scenes or interfacility transfers.
• Advanced procedures include Rapid Sequence Induction (RSI) for airway management, Surgical Cricothyroidotomy, Chest Decompression, and Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) placement.

The Initial Contact:

When you contact Meducare Air, please have the following initial information:

• Your name and affiliated agency
• Call-back telephone number and/or radio frequency (and PL tone)
• Patient location
• Patient's approximate age and weight
• Patient's most current vital signs
• Treatment rendered to the patient up to the time of the call

If you are calling about an accident scene, add the following information:

• Type of accident (e.g.: rollover, ejection, pedestrian, entrapment, etc)
• Any Hazardous Materials involved?
• Accident location
• Possible landing zone location, description and/or GPS coordinates

Placing the Meducare Air Flight Team on "STANDBY":

You can place the Meducare Air Flight Team on "Standby" if you question whether emergent helicopter transport is needed. Early activation is essential when a patient requires rapid transport from an accident scene or outlying facility. Give the Communications Specialist the following information when you call:

• Nature of the accident
• Location of the accident or hospital
• Possible landing site - specify whether the hospital has a helipad
• Call-back telephone number
• Radio frequency and name of the person in charge at the scene or at the hospital

** Please remember to cancel the "Standby" if the Meducare Air helicopter is NOT needed. (*Note: Meducare Air Communications Specialists will continue to telephone you every ten (10) minutes to check the "status" of your request unless notified otherwise.)

Landing Requirements for the Meducare Air BK-117

• LZ area of 100 ft. x 100 ft. NIGHT time / 60 ft. x 60 ft. DAYTIME
• LZ free of trees, wires, vehicles and loose debris.
• Wet down if dusty (when possible).
• Avoid slopes.
• Marking devices (strobes, etc.) should be secured.
• DO NOT use flares to mark the LZ.
• For night landings, keep emergency vehicle lights on.
• Use spotlights and headlights to identify the LZ and hazards.
• When communicating with the helicopter use a "direct" or fireground channel

Safety Precautions in and around the LZ

• Keep vehicle doors CLOSED.
• Keep personnel and bystanders back at least 200 feet.
• Protect patient(s) from blowing debris.
• Secure patient's clothing and blankets
• Do not approach helicopter unless signaled to do so by a crew member.
• Approach helicopter from the front only.
• Stay clear of the tail rotor.
• No smoking !!
• No running !!
• Do not attempt to open or close helicopter doors.
• Do not lift anything above your head.
• Assist patient loading only if asked by crew.
• Follow flight crew's instructions at all times.

The Meducare Air Communication Specialists will help you when you call by providing clear guidelines on landing site requirements and safety rules. Before an emergency situation arises, all staff who may be involved in loading a patient via Meducare Air's helicopter should review the safety procedures. If you have any questions about the procedures, including those regarding the choice of a landing site, please call Meducare Air at (843) 278-0100 or (843) 278-0104 and speak to a pilot or member of the flight team on duty.