Helicopters are a great tool to have available when someone needs to be pulled out of a remote canyon – or transported to a level 1 trauma center in a hurry.
They’re unbeatable for those missions. I know—I flew helicopters for a while, back in the early 2000s.
But they also pose a danger to ground crews. Get complacent and you could have a very bad day.
In Arizona, we’ve had DPS troopers killed by helicopter tail rotors and even a main rotor strike.
Back again to give us a safety refresher is Joseph Uridil. He’s the Air Methods clinical base supervisor for Native Air in Arizona.
He is also, coincidentally, just back from recurrent scene-safety training for helicopter operations.
Article: Back to Basics: Helicopter Safety
Article: Coming in Hot: Helicopter EMS Safety