STAT213

Hey, I love the light package on that Old Mack. Suh-weet!!! What kind of lights you got on that thing?

ok, thanks to everyone who agreed that this is the dumbest thing since the edsel. how bout the rest of you? there are people out there who use this term. can you defend it? or, will you just keep using it. it is one thing to be ignorant, but informed ignorance is something else entirely.... c'mon, somebody out there tell me that asking someone to expedite is a good idea...please...

"Hey Stat, can you expedite the Helicopter?! Always been my personal favorite." And, that has been said over the radio, for those of you that think JM is joking. Truly a funny moment. RAT

Hey!!! That's a blue light on the grill of that truck. Isn't that against the law????

How bout we all worry about getting out for calls, and getting medics to EVERY call instead of worrying about speciality teams. Amazing. I work in a town of 34,000 and we staff 14 members, with four rigs. How many people in the town of Mt. Pleasant, and when I left a few years ago there was still no F/T coverage save 37 M1. One of the richest counties in the country still has mainly a BLS system with volunteers. I don't get it. I hope it has changed, but reading the discussions on here, it seems to have not. 636...bring back swafa!!!

I haven't had someone jump out of my rig yet. Now, I have had someone be thrown out of my truck...

Hey gang, my squad is buying a new ambulance, and I am way out of the loop on who is making the best trucks out there right now. I don't care about bells and whistles, I am really interested in reliability, solid construction and safety. There was some discussion about this in the past, but I can't find it. Thanks!!

Remember 585 wrote: Talk the talk? Can you walk the walk?? Heh Heh. I dunno, Captain whacker...still got all them lights in your ride??? Long live West Comm. Miss me???

There are two parts to this. The hospital Levels were well described by alsfirefighter. These refer to what the hospital can or cannot treat, Level One being the hospital that can supposedly handle it all. In addition, WMC has (well had anyway when I was there) ways to classify the trauma patients coming into their facility. Most trauma centers do this, it allows them to determine who should come to the individual cases. The most serious cases mandate a full response. The different levels are based on physiologic findings of your patients, and some mechanism based stuff. When I worked for STAT Flight, we called the level of trauma we were bringing in, and this sort of got some of the ER staff used to having someone folks call the level of trauma response. I many times remember having folks bring in a trauma and having them wonder what the heck the ER was asking them. Like the center levels, there are three levels of trauma, 1,2 and 3. A level one trauma at WMC is really banged up, like intubated, sustained hypotension. Level 2 is a little lower still getting some trauma folks to come, and a level 3 trauma is usually handled just by the ED staff. Bottom line, don't worry about calling the level of trauma. Describe your patient to the ER; that should be enough to get the message across. Rob

As a former STAT flight medic, and current flight medic in NH, I think I can shed some light on all of this. So far, all of the comments have been right on, and right out of what STAT was teaching for its Ground Safety Courses when I was there. The comment about hand lines is great. I hate to see a charged line on an engine, it most likely means it will take longer for you to put me out because if something goes wrong, we are not coming down in the middle of those cones. As for the PPE, its a good idea mostly for the crap an aircraft can stir up on approach. As for traffic...when the a/c is landing or taking off, it is best to stop all traffic that can reasonably see what is going on. For example, on 684, it is not a bad idea to shut down both sides. It is not always practical or needed, but it sure can cut down on rubbernecking accidents. As for lights in the LZ...Please try to limit all white lights. This includes scene lights and wigwags especially. The idea is to preserve the pilot's night vision as best as possible. Foam I think is answered by the handline statement. The biggest threats are obstacles in the flight path. As someone said, helicopters land and take off from all sorts of places without bursting into flames. The purpose of the FD is mainly to provide security from onlookers, and a safe place for the a/c to land. And, as Tommy said, the folks from LifeNet/STAT will be happy to come talk to you in a group or one on one about this stuff One last thing, each pilot like each fire chief is different, and likes things a certain way. Don't try to read their minds and don't get wound if one voices their displeasure with something in your LZ. They might be preaching the gospel according to Charles and not the way the other 7 pilots like it.

As we know it... A sad day in Westchester EMS History. WMC has rid itself of STAT Flight, and the whole thing will now be run by Air Methods, the helicopter vendor. Staffing cuts and more fun things to follow.

From what I have heard, the Westchester Medical Center nurses either have worked or will be working their last shifts very shortly. 10 of the nurses from WMC will be hired on, or have been hired on at crew for the new program. Medics will stay the same. There were close to 20 nurses. 636's reference to them doing more work out of the area is very true. Previously to do what was called a "third party" transport, or a flight that did not terminate at WMC, a fabulous amount of paperwork was needed prior to lift off. No more. Air Methods will be happy to go anywhere, any time. Those aircraft are now part of the LifeNet of NY system, and will do flights as needed and where needed. Air Methods is a decent company, but its is a private company. The days of having a helicopter always available in Westchester are gone. Unless, of course there is a significant increase in volume and Air Methods sees the value of having more a/c in the downstate area. Don't think this can't happen, they have more aircraft in Arizona than you can shake a stick at. That with multiple competing programs in the area. Bottom line, keep calling for the helicopter. Make them see how it is needed in Westchester, and badly.

I have heard the rumour about Alamo since I started working at STAT over five years ago. Back then, it was a Bell 206B also "already purchased" that they were going to do "stable interfacility transports" with. When you see the Sikorsky/Bell land on your scene or at a local hospital is when I would finally believe that Alamo has put an aircraft inservice. It is too bad about the current doings of STAT Flight, but it is a national trend in airmedicine. Many years ago, every flight program in South Carolina was a service like STAT, hospital employees with a contracted aviation service. Not one program remains as such today. As long as the privates can make money doing, they will continue to do so. But, as soon as the dollars start to dry up, bye bye helicopters. Be interesting to see what Life Net does with the two new additions to their growing NY fleet. (They just added a second a/c to the Albany system.) They will put them wherever they feel will best serve them and get them flights, trust me. Its how they have operated across the country.

Leave him there, because he is dead. Check the box for obvious death on the PCR, cause that's why its there. All the toys you have ain't bringing anyone with these injuries back. THEY ARE DEAD.

Bustin' Ours, Savin' Yours

There are rumors flying around right now, as you would well imagine. I doubt LifeNet (the new owners/company) are gonna change anything overnight. You will not being seeing all the same faces. Life Net staffs four FT nurses and four FT medics for each a/c base that they have, so you do the math on how many people will be working there. I do know that they are looking for 8 FT and 2 PT nurses to staff the helicopters. Medics shouldn't be changing, as they were already Rocky/Air Methods/Life Net employees. So, will things change tomorrow? Doubtful. In the future, you bet. Take a look at how LifeNet runs things around the country, and you will see what is coming for the Hudson Valley.

Maybe episodes like this will force people to realize that the days of the volunteer are numbered and it is time to PAY staff to cover calls, and not sit and wait and wonder. Empty Fire Stations and EMS stations serve No One. Creative solutions to the staffing problem are all well and good, but as ALS FireFighter said, this is a symptom of the overall problem in the entire system.

Happy Pants? I got your freakin Happy Pants. All most of you ever did in there was sleep. 636 and I did have some good nights though, hanging out and solving the problems of the world. That and me learning all about SWAFA. Fun times.

MoFire, I have actually retired from STAT...The interactions I have had with Life Com have been luke warm at best. I still fly with an agency that interacts with them from time to time on a mutual aid basis. From what I have seen, they are professional but a little slow to get things rolling when a request comes in, and not knowing the geography of their flight programs is a real hindrance. More than once, I have seen them send the wrong a/c to a call. I have also bumped into some interesting policies on them not giving out a/c locations and ETA's. Having the people on site as with WESTComm was fabulous, (except of course when Munson was dozing for dollars there!!! ) Does LifeComm work? Sure. Would those of us flying around like to always have a comm center at home. Heck ya. By the way, they also dispatch for EMS and Fire out of Nebraska. I am sure they would be happy to take over for any agency anywhere in the states. Hope that info helps. Rob

Actually, the loss of Westcom was due to WMC not having the dough for its own dispatch center. LifeCom is not the best option out there, but it sure is cheap. (And, its in Nebraska.)

Actually, the loss of Westcom was due to WMC not having the dough for its own dispatch center. LifeCom is not the best option out there, but it shore is cheap. (And, its in Nebraska.)