[Scan-DC] UP Park Police incident

[Clegg, Andrew W.]

Yes, I believe you are referring to the one that started when I
questioned the wisdom of calling for a helicopter (on a Sunday morning)
for the injured person in Arlington. I recall that someone tried to
justify it by claiming that somehow the helicopters were equipped with
personnel who were so much more skilled than regular EMTs that it would
justify the additional 1/2 hour - 45 minute delay in getting the person
to the hospital. I don't buy that argument, but I really can't explain
the rationale for the helicopter myself, other than perhaps there's a
lot of political pressure to justify the existence of these hugely
expensive resources. I totally understand the rationale for using
helicopters for injured people in rural and some suburban areas, but not
here in the city, where you're a 5-15 minute ambulance ride from the
hospital (except perhaps during rush hour).

By the way, apparently the accident rate associated with medical
helicopters is really high. A random Google search turned up this
passage from a Popular Mechanics article:

"As a result of flying ill-equipped into risky conditions, medical
helicopters crash at twice the rate of other air taxis and are
exponentially more dangerous than commercial airliners, according to a
2009 study by Ira Blumen, medical and program director of the University
of Chicago Aeromedical Network."
(http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/aviation/safety/medical-heli
copter-safety-crashes).

Between the time wasted in getting people to a hospital, and the very
high accident rate, I really don't see the wisdom of using medical
helicopters in a city.

Andy


-----Original Message-----
From: scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Blair Thompson
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 4:04 PM
To: Scan-DC at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] UP Park Police incident

There was a lengthy discussion about three or four years ago at Scan-DC
about the wisdom of waiting for a helicopter vs. just taking the patient
to a hospital in an ambulance. I can't find the thread right now.

---------- Original Message ----------
From: "Clegg, Andrew W." <aclegg at nsf.gov>
To: "Brooks, Kurt" <knbrooks at wusa9.com>, <jeff at krauss.ws>,
<scan-dc at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] UP Park Police incident
Date: Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:02:48 -0500

They're transporting to Georgetown, by ground. 

Based on past incidents, I'm surprised they didn't call in a medical
helicopter, taking 45 minutes to fly in, locate a landing zone, land,
transport to helicopter, load, depart, and fly 1000 ft to Georgetown.
Makes about as much sense as when they took 45 minutes to pick up a
patient in Arlington to fly to Georgetown. Could have taken them there
on a bicycle in half that time.

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