Around The Town with Marilyn Forbes - Allegheny Heath Network's LifeFlight Emergency Helicopter

[S10 Ep06] Marilyn Forbes takes to the skies above Butler, PA with the medical team of Allegheny Health Network's LifeFlight, emergency helicopter and critical care ground transportation service. ABOUT LIFEFLIGHT: Allegheny Health Network's LifeFlight provides regional emergency helicopter and critical care ground transportation services for critically ill and injured patients who need immediate specialized care. LifeFlight is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. LifeFlight has completed more than 75,000 missions — working side-by-side with EMS providers and community hospitals in a four-state area. LifeFlight helicopters serve western Pennsylvania, southeastern Ohio, northern West Virginia and western Maryland For emergency transport, contact LifeFlight at (412) 359-3333 1-800-AGH-LIFE #LIFE (cellular) Metro Aviation, Inc. operates the 5 helicopters in the LifeFlight program. The Allegheny Health Network continuously strives to be a customer-focused organization. The Emergency Medical Service providers who entrust our hospitals to care for their patients are incredibly important partners in improving and preserving the health of our region. Our Network is committed to providing EMS with the very best experience while visiting our facilities. Our EMS Pledge clearly specifies what EMS can expect when they arrive at any of our Network’s Emergency Departments. The LifeFlight team is made up of individuals including flight nurses, flight paramedics, pilots, mechanics, communications specialists, and administrative support personnel A minimum of five years of critical care experience is required for the Flight Nurse position, and prehospital experience is required. At this time all LifeFlight nurses hold Pennsylvania Certified Pre-Hospital Registered Nurse or Paramedic certifications. Many of the nurses are active in their local community fire and EMS services. The nursing staff is required to hold advanced certifications, such as Certified Flight Nurse, Certified Emergency Nurse or Critical Care Registered Nurse. Additionally, all nurses are certified in ACLS, PHTLS and PALS requirements, and are all full-time employees. Many of the functions of the medical crew are performed under advanced protocols including, surgical airways, rapid sequence intubation, pericardiocentesis, femoral IV access, inter-osseous lines, escharotimies, and other advanced techniques. Flight Paramedics LifeFlight paramedics have a minimum of 5 years of experience in progressive EMS system(s), certification as a Paramedic in Pennsylvania, and as a Flight Paramedic-Certified. LifeFlight paramedics must also have and maintain ACLS, PALS, and PHTLS/ITLS. LifeFlight pilots come to us with excellent experience flying both civilian and military aircraft. Our staff currently consists of a chief pilot and 20 line pilots. Metro Aviation, Inc. is our operator for pilots, mechanics, and aircraft-related equipment. Currently, Metro Aviation, Inc. provides a staff of seven mechanics who work around the clock to keep our four EC-145s fully operational. Our mechanics come from a variety of backgrounds, such as military and commercial aviation. Working out of our maintenance facility at Butler County Airport, the mechanics are able to deal with all of the routine work, inspections, and maintenance issues on site. Our Communications Specialists receive all incoming requests for rotor and ground transportation for the LifeFlight department. At a minimum, the coordinators must hold a Pennsylvania EMT certification and have previous radio and dispatching experience. Our coordinators are an integral part of the LifeFlight program. They coordinate all aircraft information for inter-hospital and scene run patients for the medical crew, the medical command physician, and the receiving institution. Our administrative staff includes a Medical Director, Administrative Director, Chief Flight Nurse, Manager, Manager of Prehospital Operations, Aviation Site Manager, Lead Maintenance Technician, and Outreach Staff. The LifeFlight fleet is composed of four EC145’s, which were introduced in 2007. The EC145 is a medium duty, twin engine helicopter with a cruise speed of 130 knots and a maximum speed of 145 knots. The EC145’s wide open, rear loading, cabin allows maximum flexibility for space for all of our medical equipment, up to 3 medical crew members, and a Ferno Powerflexx stretcher. The cockpit is all glass, NVG & SPIFR certified, and has all of the latest advances in aviation safety. The H135 is the newest aircraft type in our fleet and employs many of the same design characteristics of the H145, including a high mail rotor, large flat floor space, rear loading, and advanced avionics. Additionally the H135 also has a Fenestron or shrouded tail rotor. The H135 accounts for some 25% of all EMS helicopters flying today. Slightly smaller than the H145 it still allows for completing our mission while decreasing costs and diversifying our fleet.