Thief steals flying helmet while HEMS paramedic attends patient
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Joined: Aug 2000
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From: SW England
Thief steals flying helmet while HEMS paramedic attends patient
Manchester Evening News article
I've had footballs kicked against the cockpit of a 902, stones chucked at the aircraft, scrotes deliberately blocking a landing site by riding bikes and pushing prams(!) across the area when I've been on final approach - but I never encountered this. Best wishes to Helimed 72 - I had many pleasant shifts there when they first started operating.
A thief stole an air ambulance paramedic's helmet from beside a helicopter during a 999 emergency call out, it's been revealed.
Bosses at North West Air Ambulance Charity said its lifesaving crews were 'shocked and saddened' by what they called a 'mindless act'. Flight helmets - described as specialist and vital kit - enable crew members to speak to each other while in the air. They are made to measure, moulded to fit the shape of the wearer's head, and cost more than £2,000 each, the charity revealed as it issued an appeal for anyone with information to come forward.
The air ambulance crew were responding to a 999 call in Whitefield, near Bury, at 3.30 pm last Friday when the theft took place. As they were preparing to attend to a patient, a group of youths on bikes rode past and took the flight helmet from beside the helicopter.
A statement from the North West Air Ambulance Charity said: "On Friday, October 6, a critical care paramedic from the North West Air Ambulance Charity had their flight helmet stolen.
North West Air Ambulance (Image: Liverpool Echo/Colin Lane)
"The flight helmets are specialist and vital pieces of equipment, importantly they allow crew members to communicate with each other when in the air. They are not only worn for communicating, but they provide vital safety to the person wearing them.
Without the flight helmets, the charity’s pilots, doctors, and critical care paramedics cannot respond to emergency incidents in the helicopters as it is [sic] a mandatory safety feature.
The flight helmets cost around £2,200 and are made to measure for each crew member, as they come with special fittings that are tailored to the shape of the person's head."
David Briggs, Operations Director at the North West Air Ambulance Charity, said:
"It is really disappointing to have essential safety equipment stolen from our crews, whilst they are at scene attending to critically injured people. The charity costs £12 million pounds a year to provide lifesaving treatment to the people of the North West.
Our crews and equipment are paid for directly by our hardworking, kind and generous supporters. I’d ask those responsible to consider the impact they made, as their actions prevented us from responding to those who could be their family, friends or neighbours. Our crews are shocked and saddened by this mindless act."
Based at Barton Aerodrome, the helicopter involves uses the callsign Helimed 72.
It had to fly back to base to collect a spare before it could attend any other emergency call outs.
The North West Air Ambulance Charity is not part of the NHS and doesn't receive any government funding, relying on donations.
Bosses at North West Air Ambulance Charity said its lifesaving crews were 'shocked and saddened' by what they called a 'mindless act'. Flight helmets - described as specialist and vital kit - enable crew members to speak to each other while in the air. They are made to measure, moulded to fit the shape of the wearer's head, and cost more than £2,000 each, the charity revealed as it issued an appeal for anyone with information to come forward.
The air ambulance crew were responding to a 999 call in Whitefield, near Bury, at 3.30 pm last Friday when the theft took place. As they were preparing to attend to a patient, a group of youths on bikes rode past and took the flight helmet from beside the helicopter.
A statement from the North West Air Ambulance Charity said: "On Friday, October 6, a critical care paramedic from the North West Air Ambulance Charity had their flight helmet stolen.
North West Air Ambulance (Image: Liverpool Echo/Colin Lane)
"The flight helmets are specialist and vital pieces of equipment, importantly they allow crew members to communicate with each other when in the air. They are not only worn for communicating, but they provide vital safety to the person wearing them.
Without the flight helmets, the charity’s pilots, doctors, and critical care paramedics cannot respond to emergency incidents in the helicopters as it is [sic] a mandatory safety feature.
The flight helmets cost around £2,200 and are made to measure for each crew member, as they come with special fittings that are tailored to the shape of the person's head."
David Briggs, Operations Director at the North West Air Ambulance Charity, said:
"It is really disappointing to have essential safety equipment stolen from our crews, whilst they are at scene attending to critically injured people. The charity costs £12 million pounds a year to provide lifesaving treatment to the people of the North West.
Our crews and equipment are paid for directly by our hardworking, kind and generous supporters. I’d ask those responsible to consider the impact they made, as their actions prevented us from responding to those who could be their family, friends or neighbours. Our crews are shocked and saddened by this mindless act."
Based at Barton Aerodrome, the helicopter involves uses the callsign Helimed 72.
It had to fly back to base to collect a spare before it could attend any other emergency call outs.
The North West Air Ambulance Charity is not part of the NHS and doesn't receive any government funding, relying on donations.
Joined: Mar 2011
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From: London/Atlanta
Nothing but dirty little toe rags,(yes used recently on another thread)
I hope this theft from a charity gets plenty of attention on social media and the helmet is returned and those responsible get punished.
For those that don’t understand the meaning of toerag see below.
+ Filthy piece of !!!!!
As a colloquial term for, as the Oxford English Dictionary says: "A tramp or vagabond; a despicable or worthless person",
I hope this theft from a charity gets plenty of attention on social media and the helmet is returned and those responsible get punished.
For those that don’t understand the meaning of toerag see below.
+ Filthy piece of !!!!!
As a colloquial term for, as the Oxford English Dictionary says: "A tramp or vagabond; a despicable or worthless person",
Joined: Sep 2011
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From: USA
At an HAA job I worked at once, the ' secure ' pad at the hospital was compromised and somebody ran off with the big old red drug bag. Policy afterwards was to lock the machine up. The locks would then seize up in the cold. Good times !!
Joined: Sep 2023
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From: United Kingdom
I have to agree with this, Without meaning to get too side-tracked from the subject of the post, I think social media proliferates how much stuff like this the average person sees. Whilst 10-20 years ago the same may have happened, it'd probably have made a small section of a local newspaper if it got any traction at all, nowadays it can be in front of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people on their Facebook pages etc only moments after stuff like this happens. It only takes a few clicks and a publish button to reach them. I don't think society has necessarily got drastically worse, we are just far more aware of the petty crime and other behaviours of local nuisances that are right under our noses, which can only be a good thing I suppose.
As for those who stole the helmet, I hope they're caught and the appropriate punishment handed to them. Mindless opportunism, Not a clue what you'd do with a made-to-fit HEMS helmet, who can you flog that too on the sly? Not sure its worth much to anyone other than the intended user.
As for those who stole the helmet, I hope they're caught and the appropriate punishment handed to them. Mindless opportunism, Not a clue what you'd do with a made-to-fit HEMS helmet, who can you flog that too on the sly? Not sure its worth much to anyone other than the intended user.
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From: Den Haag
Nigerian In Law
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From: The stool at the end of the bar
Coincidentally this morning a paramedic colleague told me he and his crew were threateningly berated for landing in a public park to attend a road traffic accident yesterday. Apparently the complainant was annoyed that his mid morning dog walk had been disrupted. The thought process (or lack of) these people use confounds me.
I asked my associate if the man was on his morning tea break from work............. that got me an "eyes to the ceiing" response.
NEO
I asked my associate if the man was on his morning tea break from work............. that got me an "eyes to the ceiing" response.
NEO
Joined: Aug 2001
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From: se england
IDisgusting and moronic behavior both all too common today.
Sadly the fact that our Helimed services have to rely on charity also sums up the state of the nation.Several of my European mainland friends cannot believe that we have to rely on charity. Then again even when we were a serious maritime power the life boat service was also a charity
Sadly the fact that our Helimed services have to rely on charity also sums up the state of the nation.Several of my European mainland friends cannot believe that we have to rely on charity. Then again even when we were a serious maritime power the life boat service was also a charity
Thread Starter
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From: SW England
pax b - I would FAR rather the public directly fund the Air Ambulance services, rather than get the NPAS-equivalent government-funded version that the government-of-the-day thinks we can afford. The current system is not perfect - one or two too many trustees and charity bosses who seem "differently" motivated from most - but is WAY better than the under-performing money-eater that Police aviation in England and Wales has become. You mentioned the lifeboat service; I consider it the go-to model for charity-run lifesaving operations, independent from political control and much better for it. No government targets, no shareholders to enrich - what's not to like?
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From: by the seaside
Not stollen but
Dublin airport car park..left motorcycle with helmet locked to front wheel..when I got back some nice fella had allowed his dog to urinate in the helmet..suppose its coz its on uk plates. Binned helmet.
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From: Falling off the end of the thread
pax b - I would FAR rather the public directly fund the Air Ambulance services, rather than get the NPAS-equivalent government-funded version that the government-of-the-day thinks we can afford. The current system is not perfect - one or two too many trustees and charity bosses who seem "differently" motivated from most - but is WAY better than the under-performing money-eater that Police aviation in England and Wales has become. You mentioned the lifeboat service; I consider it the go-to model for charity-run lifesaving operations, independent from political control and much better for it. No government targets, no shareholders to enrich - what's not to like?
I was rather hoping as the thread had grown that the helmet had been recovered.
Joined: Sep 2010
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From: by the seaside