Air Ambulance HELIMED56
Live emergency tasking with Air Ambulance – Callsign Helimed56
Over the last 5 years I have flown almost 100 emergency tasking missions with the Air Ambulance. I am able to do this after becoming CAA trained and approved as a HEMs Technical Crew Member some years ago. This month I was back at Helimed 56, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance on shift for three days to further document their day-to-day operation.
So, what is it really like flying with HEMs?
Tim - “In truth its hard, sure it all looks exciting but the pictures you see are the ones that will be used in the public domain for raising funds and awareness as well the promotion of safety.
All Air Ambulances are purely funded by donations, some private and some from local business who want to be associated. An average call-out it costs around £4,500 and some days, like the ones we have experienced recently on this tour, are literally that busy that you are bouncing from one job to the next. There is little or no time to ‘decompress’ from a bad one and you must be 101% on you’re a game all the time as quite literally people’s lives are depending on it.”
“There is no A/C in HEMs aircraft as its stripped out for weight, so it gets hot and its cramped, very cramped. All the medical gear that is walked to scene from the helicopter landing point, sometimes close, sometimes not depending on the options that the pilot has to put down the aircraft, and its heavy kit, all of which is potentially needed because the HEMs crew sometimes only have rough details of what they are about to walk into.
The sheer issue of finding a landing point as quickly possible that does not put people on the ground or the helicopter crew themselves at risk is not always that simple and the pilots, most ex-military, truly are the very best around in thier field, many having also experinced time flying with SAR (Search and Rescue)”
“It is very physically draining as well as mentally. Some people are saved, some are not, and difficult calls have to be made, often with the relatives stood right next to you watching.
It is not a TV show, the reality is that sometimes it takes time to even find the emergency, we are normally first on scene so we can’t always eyeball a location for police or ambulance crews to pinpoint where it is, people are destressed when they make the call so don’t think straight.
The best advice I always give everyone is get ‘what 3 words’ on your phone, that is a lifesaver if you need help quickly to get to you.”
“HEMs crews deal with a lot and in my view, and everyone likes the idea of the helicopter being available if they need it. If you have the ability to support your local Air Ambulance, I would do that because when you are having possibly the worst day of your life they will be there when you need them the most.”
Tim Wallace
