BBC reporting 6 helicopters at M62 mini bus crash scene?
They knew where the bus was...
I've been to plenty of RTCs. The last oil rig I went to hardly involved much searching. IMO the search should be removed from the title. The Sea King is to all intents and purposes a rescue helicopter.
Not sure about LGI as I'm not a Leconfield area specialist. I've landed at LBA at night before but not sure what's available during the day without looking at the book.
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SARbloke .........."I've been to plenty of RTCs" . Well I've never been to any overwater jobs, nor night jobs and never been called into the mountains to rescue a climber dangling off a cliff. So maybe - just maybe - it is me who is being hard done by here, not you!
Seriously though (and as the ECMO comment just reinforces) it is surely horses for course re assets? The Ambulance Service are obviously going to use their own expensive and highly trained "front line" resources first when appropriate. In the sea/mountain/night/ECMO scenarios AAs would not be the first choice - (with the growing exception of night as this is slowly being adopted around the UK) so outside agencies like yourself would be requested.
And simple chain of command. Get a resource (first responder, DMA whatever) on scene and elevate your response (if required) once you know the situation. ( Learnt that through hard experience - I can't tell you how many times we used to get despatched to "persons trapped" to arrive and find the car door was stuck...)
Our despatchers regularly use SAR assets - when appropriate. SK was definitely not an appropriate asset on the M62 job. But rest assured, next time a minibus full of ECMO patients veers off a mountain road at night and crashes into the sea - I'll be sure to pass your number on!
Seriously though (and as the ECMO comment just reinforces) it is surely horses for course re assets? The Ambulance Service are obviously going to use their own expensive and highly trained "front line" resources first when appropriate. In the sea/mountain/night/ECMO scenarios AAs would not be the first choice - (with the growing exception of night as this is slowly being adopted around the UK) so outside agencies like yourself would be requested.
And simple chain of command. Get a resource (first responder, DMA whatever) on scene and elevate your response (if required) once you know the situation. ( Learnt that through hard experience - I can't tell you how many times we used to get despatched to "persons trapped" to arrive and find the car door was stuck...)
Our despatchers regularly use SAR assets - when appropriate. SK was definitely not an appropriate asset on the M62 job. But rest assured, next time a minibus full of ECMO patients veers off a mountain road at night and crashes into the sea - I'll be sure to pass your number on!
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SARBLOKE, the circumstances of this one would not suit a SK working on its own. The patients were not all ready at the same time so one helicopter would have been no good. There is only a limited amount of info we can give in a public forum, however the casualties were released over a period of time and taken to different hospitals depending on their triage. We got the first one and flew 20 minutes West to Manchester. Our other aircraft got number two about 7 minutes later and went to leeds. That meant we arrived at 2 hospitals, 50 miles apart at approximately the same time. All flown at 130kts. How would your superSK manage that on its own?
Mateyboy, you do a fabulous job, but so do we. When we think a SAR cab will do a job better, we are the first to request you. I have done this a few times in the last 12 months. Our dispatchers do a great job and also request you when they think you are needed. There is no conspiracy here, we just didn't need you the other day, live with it.
Also ketamine and doctors help.
Mateyboy, you do a fabulous job, but so do we. When we think a SAR cab will do a job better, we are the first to request you. I have done this a few times in the last 12 months. Our dispatchers do a great job and also request you when they think you are needed. There is no conspiracy here, we just didn't need you the other day, live with it.
Also ketamine and doctors help.
Last edited by jayteeto; 28th Apr 2013 at 21:18.
SAR bloke, not a misunderstanding. It's called tongue in cheek.
In my view there should be large combined para-public assets and small ones. There is so much crossover now it gets daft at times between SAR/HEMS/Police. Even more daft when there is all the bitching about who did and didn't get to attend an incident that makes the news headlines.
But what would have happened if the SK was waiting on the M62 for a patient to be cut free and someone on an oil rig needed rescuing? Can't exactly send the East Midlands 109 or the Humberside ASU to that job
As Flaxton says - the SK was not appropriate on the M62 job and that call was made by people very able to make that call. They made it. Get over it!
HEMS is starting to do night Ops. One day they'll have winches too. And one day it will all merge into one big picture and everyone will be happily flying together instead of grumbling about who gets to do what.
Perhaps civvies should start complaining about why they don't get as many medals!
In my view there should be large combined para-public assets and small ones. There is so much crossover now it gets daft at times between SAR/HEMS/Police. Even more daft when there is all the bitching about who did and didn't get to attend an incident that makes the news headlines.
But what would have happened if the SK was waiting on the M62 for a patient to be cut free and someone on an oil rig needed rescuing? Can't exactly send the East Midlands 109 or the Humberside ASU to that job
As Flaxton says - the SK was not appropriate on the M62 job and that call was made by people very able to make that call. They made it. Get over it!
HEMS is starting to do night Ops. One day they'll have winches too. And one day it will all merge into one big picture and everyone will be happily flying together instead of grumbling about who gets to do what.
Perhaps civvies should start complaining about why they don't get as many medals!
