Area loses Army med copters

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.borderlandnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050317/NEWS/503170379/1001

As of June 1, Army Blackhawk helicopters that have been used for medical evacuations in Southern New Mexico and Far West Texas no longer will be available because the aircraft and crews are needed in Iraq and Afghanistan, Fort Bliss officials said Wednesday.

Southwest Med Evac, the Las Cruces company that has been flying most of the civilian evacuations in recent years, is prepared to take on more missions -- including military rescues, if necessary -- to minimize the effect of the loss of the Blackhawks' unique capabilities, said spokesman Rob Campion.

The company's helicopters are outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment and staffed with nurse-paramedic crews, which makes them flying intensive care units, Campion said. However, Southwest Med Evac's aircraft can't duplicate some of the Blackhawks' abilities, including hoist rescues and multi-patient transports, so changes will be required regionwide in trauma procedures.

"The reason we were here was because there was no civilian company capable of providing the service," said Lt. Col. Michael Knippel, Fort Bliss' chief of aviation. The program, which has been in El Paso for more than 20 years, will also be ended at about 10 other major Army installations, including Fort Bragg, N.C., Fort Campbell, Ky., and Fort Hood, Texas, he said.

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[TahitiNut]

1. I'd be willing to bet that the cost to the public ...

... per flight by Southwest Med Evac is greater than that of the redeployed military units. The privateers sail on.

[DemoTex]

2. Civilian helicopter med-evacs have one of the highest accident rates ..

in commercial aviation. There is a dangerous mind-set to complete the mission no matter what the weather or obstacle. There is heliport at a camp (The Wilds) about three miles from our mountain house in western NC. I have told my wife and neighbors to never, ever let them load me on a med-evac helicopter in bad weather (or in good weather if it is not a matter of life-or-death).

A neighbor fell off his roof last July. The EMTs took him to The Wilds where a Bell JetRanger (Regional One) waited to whisk him to Greenville, SC. By the time he got to the heliport my neighbor was conscious enough to remember my aversion to med-evac helicopters. He refused to get on the helicopter. They transported him on to the hospital by ambulance. Ironically, that same helicopter crashed on I-26 in the early morning fog a week later, killing the three crew members and accident victim they had just picked up.

http://www.rescue1.us/bacon_award.htm

[saigon68]

3. I AGREE W/ YOU

Sometimes mission priority trumps minimum weather conditions for flight safety.

Such as "wink wink", the minimum is almost there, ---when it actually was reached an hour ago and getting worse.