Baptist Air Care
Sometimes with more serious accidents and traumatic injuries, we can contact and utilize an air ambulance to expedite the transport of the serious patient to a trauma center. Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center out of Winston Salem, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Duke University Medical Center, all have helicopters that respond to our area if needed, as determind by the EMT or Paramedic on scene.
It takes a lot of coordination and communication from the time the call is dispatched to the Fire Department and EMS to the time that the helicopter is on-scene.
First the EMT or Paramedic with the patient determinds the need for air transport then notifies 9-1-1 Communications. At that time 9-1-1 will contact the most appropriate hospital (usually based on location) and advises them of the situation. The helicopter crew then completes a series of pre-flight operations, such as starting the helicopter, doing a weather check, obtaining the coordinates of where they are needed, and then lifting off with their crew enroute to the scene. In the mean time, the fire department is added with the responsibility of finding and establishing a safe Landing Zone (LZ) near the scene. The LZ is normally set up in a large open field free from dangerous obstacles (fences, trees, powerlines, towers, etc.). Once an LZ is established, the firefighter on scene communicates with the helicopter pilot via radio and communicate important infomation about the scene. Suprisingly, on serious accidents and injuries, a helicopter can be on scene ready to accept the patient for transport within 30 minutes from the time the call was dispatched.
Air transport is a valuable asset to Randolph County Emergency Services.
Below are photos taken on 2-18-2008 when Baptist Air assisted with transport after a motorcycle accident.
