Published Thursday, June 05, 2008
Helicopter ambulance service expands to Coweta
The Times-Herald
People critically injured in Coweta and points southward will now have a greater chance of survival.
That's because they'll able to get to the hospital sooner, thanks to the helicopter ambulance that is now stationed at the Newnan-Coweta Airport.
Rescue Air 1 started operating out of the airport on Wednesday.
The helicopter ambulances have served Coweta for years, based out of Peachtree City's Falcon Field. The service has now expanded to Coweta, where it's had a maintenance shop for the past two years. The shop does scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on Omniflight's 18 helicopters stationed in the southeast. Omniflight is the parent company of Rescue Air 1. On Wednesday, three choppers were in the shop.
"We knew there was a need in Coweta. We've been working in this area for a number of years," said Jim Groover, who does business development and outreach for Rescue Air 1 and Omniflight. The helicopter will also respond to accidents in Heard, Meriwether and Troup counties, as well as areas as far flung as Upson, Pike, Clayton and Douglas.
The appeal of a helicopter ambulance is, of course, speed.
The helicopter averages 120 miles per hour. From takeoff at the airport, it can be at Atlanta Medical Center in 16 minutes, far faster than a ground ambulance could ever make it. The helicopter also doesn't have to worry about traffic or hospital diversions.
In the world of emergency medicine, the most important thing is the "golden hour."
If someone who is traumatically injured or has suffered a heart attack or stroke can be on the operating room table within an hour, that person has a much higher chance of survival.
When Rescue Air 1 is called, it usually means that a patient is being taken to a trauma center such as Atlanta Medical, Grady or Columbus. In a large county like Coweta, a helicopter can get patients to Atlanta faster than an ambulance can get them to Piedmont Newnan.
"It's about speed, and it's about getting patients to the appropriate hospital," said Groover, who flew for 12 years before taking the business development position. Studies have shown that when helicopters are used to transport seriously injured trauma patients, expected mortality drops by 24 to 52 percent, said Jeff Wilson. Wilson, a long-time paramedic, now does business development and outreach for Omniflight.
Efficient operation of the air ambulance depends on a partnership with Coweta County EMS. It's the EMS workers who, once on the scene, make the call as to whether or not Rescue Air 1 is needed. EMS workers radio the Omniflight regional dispatch center in Cobb County. Dispatchers then call the crew at the airport.
The goal is for the helicopter to lift off within five minutes of getting the call. The pilot will head in the general direction of the accident, based on GPS coordinates, while the dispatcher gets clearer directions.
By the time Rescue Air 1 paramedics arrive, local EMS workers and firefighters will have already chosen a landing zone for the chopper and will be ready to help Rescue Air 1 get on the ground, get loaded, and head to Atlanta -- all within 10 minutes.
Omniflight does regular training sessions with EMS and fire departments to teach them about landing zones and to help them make the best decisions in choosing one.
"If it weren't for them, the citizens wouldn't be able to use this, because those are the guys who really do the work and make the call," Groover said of the EMS and fire workers.
"I really want to stress the fact that the EMS providers here are awesome. They do a wonderful job," Groover said.
"This is a great new tool in our toolbox for Coweta EMS," said John Price, training officer. "We're extremely fortunate to have a reputable company like this in Coweta County."
"We are a community asset here to support the first responders," said Vince Arnold, eastern region aviation manager for Omniflight.
Wednesday afternoon, the three-man helicopter crew responded to a traffic crash in Heard County and transported the victim to Atlanta Medical Center.
The crew had just enough time for a photo and a short interview after arriving back at the airport before they had to depart for another call.
Each helicopter carries a crew of three -- a pilot, a nurse, and a paramedic. Pilots work on 12-hour shifts, while the nurse and paramedic work 24-hour shifts.
Inside the helicopter, there's just enough room for the crew and the patient, along with various medical equipment.
Having a nurse and a paramedic is the best combination, Wilson said.
"The paramedics have years of experience in pre-hospital emergency medicine, and the nurses have years of in-hospital experience," Wilson said. "It's the best of both worlds. It covers all aspects of emergency medicine."
He's not kidding about the experience. Nurses, paramedics, and pilots can only work for Omniflight after they have proven themselves. Pilots must have a minimum of 2,000 flight hours before they can even be considered, Arnold said.
Paramedic Russell Wise has been in the helicopter ambulance business for 20 years. "For fire and EMS, it's the next logical progression that is a challenge," he said of moving to flight. "There's not a lot of chances for advancement" in emergency medical service, he said, other than teaching or working on a helicopter.
Capt. Skip Lam is one of the newest members of the Rescue Air 1 team. He's only been with the team for a few months. "I'm happy to be out here, serving the community," Lam said.
He chose to pilot a helicopter ambulance out of "a desire to excel and serve," Lam said. A former military pilot, "I saw it as an opportunity to continue my professional aviation career. I'm able to continue to serve the community, and to ensure that my pilot skills are put to good use," he said.
And it's exactly like he expected it would be.
"It's not only challenging, but it's especially rewarding," Lam said.
The unique rewards of being able to save someone's life are definitely a perk of the job.
But there's also the heartache of losing a patient.
Wilson said that when the helicopter lands on the scene, he or another flight member always tries to take a moment to talk to the family.
He doesn't try to sugar coat things or tell them everything will be all right, because it might not be. "The worst thing you can do is give a person false hope," Wilson said. "I say we're going to do everything in our power. We treat them like our own family members. I'll give them a hug and tell them, 'We'll see you downtown. Drive safely.'"
Crews also take time at the hospital to visit the patients they have transported.
"All of our flight crew members do follow-ups and contact the family," Groover said. Sometimes, that can be hard, if a patient didn't make it.
Or, it can develop into life- long friendships. Wilson said friendships have developed with several patients or family members of patients.
Groover said people often ask if seeing death and destruction on the scene can wear on the crews. "When you're actually working, that stuff doesn't have an impact on you mentally," he said. It's talking to the family members after the fact that does.
"To do this job, you have to have very good coping mechanisms," Wilson said.