No EMS Helicopters in Ireland
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 185
Likes: 4
From: Downwind of a smelly passenger
No EMS Helicopters in Ireland
Hello guys,
most of you pilots around the world have EMS in your countries, You would think that Ireland in it's current economic boom would have such a service. Well you would be wrong,Nothing!!! We do have military EMS 135's that are rarely used by Civilians (very rare). Lives that could have been saved by air end up dying in an Ambulance on a roadside enroute to trauma units each day. It's shocking.
I travel to th Uk most weeks and I notice that they have EMS in most places Metopolitan and remote, some NHS and the rest are charity operations.
I think fellas we need to drum up a charity and fund raise from these big oilers that we fly around Ireland for some cash for a Miracle Helicopter that they can claim against their taxes and make them saints in process.
I was in Wales today in Caernafon and their bo105 operated by Bond is funded by a Charity and they fundraise. They require 1.5 million a year to keep the serivice, 1.5 million is nothing compared to the lives that could be saved each day in Ireland. Insurance companies have to fork out 100's of thousands to each death that occurs so maybe they could be a sponsor and save them cash and their clients lives.
I once heard of a guy who died in wexford of an asthma attack because it took so long for Ambulance to get to him (1hr 45 mins), not the Ambulance's fault but by Air that man would still be with us and so would many others.
There should be no price on a life!!!
Well I have said my piece guys , I hope I make sense.
Fly safe,
Funfinn
most of you pilots around the world have EMS in your countries, You would think that Ireland in it's current economic boom would have such a service. Well you would be wrong,Nothing!!! We do have military EMS 135's that are rarely used by Civilians (very rare). Lives that could have been saved by air end up dying in an Ambulance on a roadside enroute to trauma units each day. It's shocking.
I travel to th Uk most weeks and I notice that they have EMS in most places Metopolitan and remote, some NHS and the rest are charity operations.
I think fellas we need to drum up a charity and fund raise from these big oilers that we fly around Ireland for some cash for a Miracle Helicopter that they can claim against their taxes and make them saints in process.
I was in Wales today in Caernafon and their bo105 operated by Bond is funded by a Charity and they fundraise. They require 1.5 million a year to keep the serivice, 1.5 million is nothing compared to the lives that could be saved each day in Ireland. Insurance companies have to fork out 100's of thousands to each death that occurs so maybe they could be a sponsor and save them cash and their clients lives.
I once heard of a guy who died in wexford of an asthma attack because it took so long for Ambulance to get to him (1hr 45 mins), not the Ambulance's fault but by Air that man would still be with us and so would many others.
There should be no price on a life!!!
Well I have said my piece guys , I hope I make sense.
Fly safe,
Funfinn
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 103
Likes: 0
From: USA
Civilian HEMS,
I agree. It is old fashion to have a military or coast guard in some countries draughty HEMS operation. Your civilian operators must start a big discussion to have it away from Military. The goverment have already money for operate those nice helicopters in civilian style for the civilians.
Keep on going...
Hostile
Keep on going...
Hostile
Joined: Apr 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 10,959
Likes: 1,814
From: EGDC
Funfinn - as I understand it, there is no requirement for your land ambulances to contain a paramedic so the chances of getting an airborne one are remote. You may have a technician or just a driver in your ambulance and this lack of legal requirement is why the coastguard don't have to provide paramedic qualified winchmen in Ireland.
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 9
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From: Ireland
I'm a Paddy currently flying from a heliport in Dallas and we have at least 4+ EMS operators in the area. If Dallas has 4 operators(maybe more when ye factor in Fort Worth), and each of them have more than one helicopter, why can Ireland not have at least one for each(4 of them) province?
Considerably Bemused Wannabe
Joined: May 2003
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From: UK
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 345
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From: Near the Mountains
The Irish Air Corps list the provision of an Air Ambulance Service amongst the reasons they exist. No harm to the boys in blue but, as long as they are there and as long as they continue to provide this limited service, (which is the airborne equivalent of using a Land Rover as a makeshift ambulance) then governmental agencies are able to field away any requests for a proper EMS arrangement.
If there is to be any hope for such a service, then it will have to be done privately but there is no telling what the likely political implications might be. The Dept. of the Marine doing SAR with CHC might be a useful precedent.
If there is to be any hope for such a service, then it will have to be done privately but there is no telling what the likely political implications might be. The Dept. of the Marine doing SAR with CHC might be a useful precedent.
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: Newcastle, NSW
Visited Irish Air Corp base in Dublin in February this year. As well as their 135's, they have I believe 6 139's on the way, saw 2 on the day. Why can't these aircraft (or at least one) be put to use as a dedicated EMS machine, seeing that the IAC don't have SAR contract. For the size of the country and population, it's quite incredible they don't have a dedicated HEMS. Obviously, these aircraft wouldn't be cheap to run but get a company (insurance, banking, utilities etc) behind it then the ball will start rolling. Throw a few logos on the side of the machine, crew it with qualified medical personnel and everyone will benefit. At the end of the day, how much is a life worth?
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 643
Likes: 30
From: Global Vagabond
LHSboy, can't vouch for the accuracy, but it seems the A139 is a hangar queen at the mo...
Either way, we can't expect the Aer Corp to deliver this service, it should be a civil function.
FF2, valid and long awaited point.
As I see it, its only going to happen by the much lauded "Public Private Partnership" model.
If you have any ideas PM me, I'm very interested in getting this off the ground - so to speak
Either way, we can't expect the Aer Corp to deliver this service, it should be a civil function.
FF2, valid and long awaited point.
As I see it, its only going to happen by the much lauded "Public Private Partnership" model.
If you have any ideas PM me, I'm very interested in getting this off the ground - so to speak
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
From: Wicklow
Just the sort of thing that Sean Quinn's Grand 109 (I think) could be used for!!!! 
Joking aside, He would be a good place to start with from a sponsor point of view as Quinn HealthCare could work on the side for him.
I do think it is something we NEED asap. Its not until someone close to one of us is affected in a situation where a EMS Heli would or could have made all the difrence that a hard push will be put on. So why not try and promote it as FunFinn2000 and Mini are sugesting & hopefully it wont be "to late" for someone close to us.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Tiny
Joking aside, He would be a good place to start with from a sponsor point of view as Quinn HealthCare could work on the side for him.
I do think it is something we NEED asap. Its not until someone close to one of us is affected in a situation where a EMS Heli would or could have made all the difrence that a hard push will be put on. So why not try and promote it as FunFinn2000 and Mini are sugesting & hopefully it wont be "to late" for someone close to us.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Tiny
Last edited by tinyjohnston; 20th October 2007 at 10:06.
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 281
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From: UK
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 321
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From: Pennsylvania, USA
Sooo many here
That would be wonderful if that could be started in Ireland. In the North East US, you can throw a stone and hit an EMS chopper, seems to be one at every airport. Hope that works out over there...
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
From: Ireland
guys
you can pick the heli crew etc that is the easy part .Talk about funding this project and not just for the first year ,get that sorted then it might work.the key to this is having the wright team ie marketing,P R etc.
cs.
you can pick the heli crew etc that is the easy part .Talk about funding this project and not just for the first year ,get that sorted then it might work.the key to this is having the wright team ie marketing,P R etc.
cs.
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: Australia
EMS in Cork?
I may be wrong, but when I was in Youghal (Co. Cork) earlier this year, I saw an S61 doing a demo for the Lifeboat ass. Looked like an EMS operation to me. Or was this the boys in blue who were refered to above
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 185
Likes: 4
From: Downwind of a smelly passenger
Well the 139's are busy in the curragh doing paradrops @10,000 ft and flying Bertie. E 271 is an EC 135 fully ems equiped and mostly used for training and Medivac for the troops during training, I often hear them on the R/t asking Bal tower if the Ambulance is standing by at the ramp, if this was a Civlian on board it would be direct to Tallaght Hospital, They have done some civilian missions and I read recently that they claim to have done 83 this year.
As I said in the beginning of this Thread, the Bo 105 at Caernafon in Wales is operated by bond and is supported by the Welsh Air Ambulance fund and they fundraise and sell merchandise in order to raise 1.5 million pounds a year to keep it in the air.
One other thing, In USA in some states the police helicopters are equiped to take stretcher so what is the point in a 4million Euro machine hovering over an accident watching people bleed when they can land and do something about it and save a life.
If anyone I care about needs emergency help I will be in nearest machine to get them, 44 or 109 whatever.
As I said in the beginning of this Thread, the Bo 105 at Caernafon in Wales is operated by bond and is supported by the Welsh Air Ambulance fund and they fundraise and sell merchandise in order to raise 1.5 million pounds a year to keep it in the air.
One other thing, In USA in some states the police helicopters are equiped to take stretcher so what is the point in a 4million Euro machine hovering over an accident watching people bleed when they can land and do something about it and save a life.
If anyone I care about needs emergency help I will be in nearest machine to get them, 44 or 109 whatever.
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
From: Ireland
funfinn
you are missing the point ,we all know it is needed, we all know the type of machine that would be good for the job. But tell me who is going to support 1.5 to 2 million a year running costs ,with the best will in the world rattling buckets on the street is not going to come near the the cost,some one come up with a plan that will stand up to that kind of cost ,and then look at all opp,s requirments.
cs.
you are missing the point ,we all know it is needed, we all know the type of machine that would be good for the job. But tell me who is going to support 1.5 to 2 million a year running costs ,with the best will in the world rattling buckets on the street is not going to come near the the cost,some one come up with a plan that will stand up to that kind of cost ,and then look at all opp,s requirments.
cs.
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: Sofa, P1 side
FunFinn
Thanks for the plug for the aircraft based at Caernarfon. I have an involvement with the Charitable Trust that funds a total of three HEMS Bolkow 105s in Wales - Helimed 57 in Swansea, 59 in Welshpool and 61 in Caernarfon. The actual amount we raise each year is close on £3 million and we've always been able to hit our fundraising targets, thanks to the amazing support from right across Wales. Next generation aircraft are now on the horizon, so we need to raise our game still further to fund whatever helicopters will replace the 105s.
I don't know if I'd be of any help, but drop me a line and my brains are yours for picking.....
57A
Thanks for the plug for the aircraft based at Caernarfon. I have an involvement with the Charitable Trust that funds a total of three HEMS Bolkow 105s in Wales - Helimed 57 in Swansea, 59 in Welshpool and 61 in Caernarfon. The actual amount we raise each year is close on £3 million and we've always been able to hit our fundraising targets, thanks to the amazing support from right across Wales. Next generation aircraft are now on the horizon, so we need to raise our game still further to fund whatever helicopters will replace the 105s.
I don't know if I'd be of any help, but drop me a line and my brains are yours for picking.....
57A