"Lifeguard"

I_Money

Moderator
Yesterday I rode along with the local air ambulance as an observer. We flew a child with serious head injuries who no more than 1 foot of the ground on departure stopped breathing. I found it really interesting that med flights typically do not use the call sign "lifeguard", they use it in only the most serious situations. Our pilot announced shortly after take off that he was a life flight and the controller came back and was like 'Copy, a bad one eh?' - for the 7 minute flight we had everyone moved out of our way. Our pilot even had to call the hospital to give our patient report cause we were so busy in the back - needless to say we had a number of people greet us upon landing!!
 
Thats cool, except for the little kid of course. I hear lifeguard all the time, cant really remember the last time I heard life flight tho. I remember one day a lifeguard asked for direct to Houston, and the controller told him hed have to declare a medical emergency. I was under the impression all lifeguards are emergencies?
 
Because of the priority afforded air ambulance flights in the ATC system, extreme discretion is necessary when using the term "LIFEGUARD." It is only intended for those missions of an urgent medical nature and to be utilized only for that portion of the flight requiring expeditious handling. When requested by the pilot, necessary notification to expedite ground handling of patients, etc., is provided by ATC; however, when possible, this information should be passed in advance through non-ATC communications systems.

1. Civilian air ambulance flights responding to medical emergencies (first call to an accident scene, carrying patients, organ donors, organs, or other urgently needed lifesaving medical material) will be expedited by ATC when necessary. When expeditious handling is necessary, add the word "LIFEGUARD" in the remarks section of the flight plan. In radio communications, use the call sign "LIFEGUARD" followed by the aircraft registration letters/numbers.

2. Similar provisions have been made for the use of "AIR EVAC" and "MED EVAC" by military air ambulance flights, except that these military flights will receive priority handling only when specifically requested.

I also think in our local area they hear the air ambulances use "lifeguard" so infrequently it really stands out - according to yesterdays pilot he has only used it a few times since joining the company.
 
I use lifeguard on every leg. The quicker I can get there and the quicker I can get the airplane back for another flight.
 
I got to use Lifeguard once while flying the CRJ. Was pretty strange to say "Comair Lifeguard 1234". We had some blood on board. We got there pretty quick;)
 
We have a helicopter lifeflight/lifeguard unit based at the airport I work at. When they have a patient on board, or need to get somewhere fast they'll use the "Promedica 1" or "Promedica 2" etc. callsign. When they don't need to expedite the flight, they just use their tail number. Same goes for Lifeflight (they work for the other major hospital in town). When they Lifeflight instead of the tail number, they're not lifeguard.

At least that's how I understand it.
 
Yesterday I rode along with the local air ambulance as an observer. We flew a child with serious head injuries who no more than 1 foot of the ground on departure stopped breathing. I found it really interesting that med flights typically do not use the call sign "lifeguard", they use it in only the most serious situations. Our pilot announced shortly after take off that he was a life flight and the controller came back and was like 'Copy, a bad one eh?' - for the 7 minute flight we had everyone moved out of our way. Our pilot even had to call the hospital to give our patient report cause we were so busy in the back - needless to say we had a number of people greet us upon landing!!

That must be a very rewarding knowing that you are saving people's lives. I met a med flight pilot who was alumni at my old flight school. He seemed to really enjoy it. Are you pursuing this as a career?
 
Yesterday I rode along with the local air ambulance as an observer. We flew a child with serious head injuries who no more than 1 foot of the ground on departure stopped breathing. I found it really interesting that med flights typically do not use the call sign "lifeguard", they use it in only the most serious situations. Our pilot announced shortly after take off that he was a life flight and the controller came back and was like 'Copy, a bad one eh?' - for the 7 minute flight we had everyone moved out of our way. Our pilot even had to call the hospital to give our patient report cause we were so busy in the back - needless to say we had a number of people greet us upon landing!!
I would love to go do a ride along - how were you able to swing it? Did you just go and ask?
 
We had multiple rescues the other day/night here, one on a cliffside and one in the middle of the desert flats. Tough, but interesting, work. Was out for so long, we almost ate into our 20 minute VFR fuel reserve required.
 
I got to use Lifeguard once while flying the CRJ. Was pretty strange to say "Comair Lifeguard 1234". We had some blood on board. We got there pretty quick;)

My girlfriend has a family member who takes blood from one place to another commercially. She says the pilots get all excited when they find out she's on board.
 
I would love to go do a ride along - how were you able to swing it? Did you just go and ask?

Usually you have to be within the weight requirements and fill out the necessary paperwork....it is pretty easy. I live in Texas where CareFlite is located and that is the way they operate...hope this helps.
 
We have a helicopter lifeflight/lifeguard unit based at the airport I work at. When they have a patient on board, or need to get somewhere fast they'll use the "Promedica 1" or "Promedica 2" etc. callsign. When they don't need to expedite the flight, they just use their tail number. Same goes for Lifeflight (they work for the other major hospital in town). When they Lifeflight instead of the tail number, they're not lifeguard.

At least that's how I understand it.

Our based med chopper does the same thing "lifeline" callsign when related to a patient and just the tail number on the way back to base. I wish ours would allow ride alongs but they don't even though they usually have a spare seat (BK-117). They do allow interns to ride along though.

Me and another line guy did get to ride in their back-up chopper once (a BO-105) as sort of an appreciation flight/ needed to burn a lot of fuel off to do some mx work on it. Both of us ended up getting a 15-20 minute ride around the city. Too bad I forgot my camera that day.
 
I wish ours would allow ride alongs but they don't even though they usually have a spare seat (BK-117). They do allow interns to ride along though.
Keep in mind that the patients they're carrying are sometimes uber-critical, like the kid in I_Money's ride-along. The back of a BK isn't really a good place for someone who's never seen something like this before. You can get into some very emotionally disturbing situations, and observers can become a distraction from patient care (or even get in the way of patient care) if they start freaking out, pass out, etc. It's usually just an annoyance to deal with in a hospital, but can be a real issue in a confined space with no extra people around-seen this happen several times even with nurses, EMTs or people who you'd think could keep themselves under control.
For that reason, I'm guessing most programs limit ridealongs to people working in the healthcare environment like RN/EMT/RTs. The largest one in my area (Metro LifeFlight) has a pretty big ridealong program including a monthly orientation lecture.
 
I'll have to look into it a bit. I work in the hospital doing transplant research, and I've been in the OR to observe an organ procurement and that was really interesting, but I'd like to do a ride along on the chopper.
 
I meant ride along up front in the left seat since it is usually is unoccupied and there is a bulkhead there. I think the main issue is that they are weight restricted on short runs. I understand the health care employee issues as well. Anyway, glad i_money enjoyed it!
 
There are some flight programs that are easier to get a ride a long with - some require just an EMT-B, others welcome student nurses however I think if you are not involved in EMS or in direct patient care it will be difficult to organize one.

As someone else mentioned the back of the medical helicopter is a highly unique environment - not only physically but emotionally. The last thing they need is someone that requires babysitting while they are trying to treat a critical patient. You add 150+ lbs to the weight of the helicopter, you have to bring something with it - it could be chest compressions, holding syringes, or reading the monitor out loud while they work.

I do not believe that using the "lifeguard" call sign for blood products is really needed - blood lasts a long time, it is not like an extra 30 minutes will matter.
 
There are some flight programs that are easier to get a ride a long with - some require just an EMT-B, others welcome student nurses however I think if you are not involved in EMS or in direct patient care it will be difficult to organize one.

As someone else mentioned the back of the medical helicopter is a highly unique environment - not only physically but emotionally. The last thing they need is someone that requires babysitting while they are trying to treat a critical patient. You add 150+ lbs to the weight of the helicopter, you have to bring something with it - it could be chest compressions, holding syringes, or reading the monitor out loud while they work.

I do not believe that using the "lifeguard" call sign for blood products is really needed - blood lasts a long time, it is not like an extra 30 minutes will matter.

Just a small point of order. Using the lifeguard tag is not just for immediate expediency, it is for planning as well. Save for severe weather and such, even J route type flight plans are only minutes longer than direct type routes. The lifeguard tag lets ATC know to start moving stuff out your way long before you get there, which cuts down on delays and also cuts down on delays for everyone else, ie take the 5 mile 30 degree heading change now or hold for 15 minutes in the terminal area.

It isn't a perfect system since there is no way to quantify who or what should get lifeguard status, it is up the crew, medical and flight, to make the best and safest decision for the well being of the patient(s), either on board or receiving.
 
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