[Scan-DC] Arlington setting up landing zone

Tue May 12 09:49:22 EDT 2009

oh it was more than way cool!  I worked for the County and requested one.

FCPD has a robust "ride-along" program (as most departments do) - just contact the district station you wish to experience and complete the application.  Generally, to participate you must reside or work in the county and pass a background check, but they also do them for community leaders (Scouts, Lions, politics, etc.).  Its pretty easy.  

I believe the program is more restrictive with helo ride-alongs though.  Since I was a County employee working on projects for the PD I am sure that cleared the way for me - you will have to ask.

Best time to do a ride-along is Friday or Saturday night, and as you have heard, some districts have more action than others;  My favorites for action in FC are Mt. Vernon and Mason although the young folks in the more "upscale" neighborhoods are no slouches when it comes to getting into trouble.  

> From: w4jecom at w4je.com
> To: m_c_rumberg at hotmail.com; scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Arlington setting up landing zone
> Date: Mon, 11 May 2009 20:21:44 -0400
> 
> Michael, it must have been way cool to do a ride-along. Dare I ask how you 
> arranged that?
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "michael rumberg" <m_c_rumberg at hotmail.com>
> To: <scan-dc at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Monday, May 11, 2009 10:45 AM
> Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Arlington setting up landing zone
> 
> 
> 
> I did a ride-along with the Fairfax helo last year for an entire 12 hour 
> shift and learned quite a bit.
> 
> 
> 
> Of course this relates to FCPD - but probably not a bad bet to assume the 
> other providers are very similar:
> 
> 
> 
> The helos are called out because:
> 
> 1. the paramedics on the helos are trained to MUCH higher level and are 
> authorized to perform procedures and administer drugs that the ground 
> paramedics cannot. This makes an enormous difference in that even if it 
> took an extra 5 minutes to use the helo (which it doesnt), the higher level 
> care adds much more time to the "golden hour."
> 
> 
> 
> 2. the helo is ridiculously faster transport - the helo can get to the 
> hospital way before a ground unit. The FCPD helo can go from Reston to 
> Mount Vernon in less than 5 minutes. As the crow flies 30 mph is WAY faster 
> than an average speed of 60 mph on the ground. And quite frankly, an 
> ambulance even after going on the beltway, will never actually get anywhere 
> near a true average speed for the entire trip at 60mph - even if there 
> really is "no traffic" on sunday afternoon.
> 
> 
> 
> real example: we did one call for a 1 am car wreck in Reston where the 
> patient was transported to Inova Fairfax. As the helo only holds 3 others 
> with a patient (see below for configuration) I had to get a ride from a cop 
> to the hospital to meet up with the helo again. With "no traffic" and 
> police lights it took more than 10 minutes to do the tollroad to 495 and 
> then to Gallows Road to the ER. Anyone familiar with the area knows we were 
> going a little faster than 65.... but by the time I got there the helo crew 
> had already delivered the patient, flirted with the nurses, restocked the 
> helo, and were waiting for my arrival with coffee in hand.
> 
> 
> 
> 3. the helo with the advanced medical care can often respond faster than 
> the closest available ALS ground unit.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I dont remember all the protocall for selecting when to use the helo - but 
> they said they will get called out with falls over 7 feet because of 
> potential head injury. so if the lady fell into rocks and was bleeding 
> about the face and head there was significant reason to believe severe head 
> injury was likely (think Liam Neeson's wife).
> 
> 
> 
> The helo is definitely small - there are 4 seats and 3 people on each 
> flight - the pilot (right seat) and the observer (left seat) in front and 
> the flight medic (left rear). When a patient is transported the left seat 
> is folded down to form the "gurney" and the left officer moves to the
> 
> right rear which is why I had to catch a ride from a cop.
> 
> 
> 
> so, sometimes it may seem the helo is extravagant - but it is not.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > From: w4jecom at w4je.com
> > To: scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
> > Date: Sun, 10 May 2009 18:19:22 -0400
> > Subject: [Scan-DC] Arlington setting up landing zone
> >
> > For a working code for a 70-year-old woman who fell down some rocks at the
> > dog park at Arlington Mill and Four Mile Run. Landing zone is Wakefield 
> > HS.
> >
> > I still don't understand the concept of helicopters when you're in the
> > middle of a darn city. And it's Sunday afternoon. No traffic. They could 
> > be
> > at the hospital faster by ambulance.
> >
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