Air Corps to provide Heli Ambulance Service to HSE.

[Shamrock145]

New 24-hour air-ambulance service to be introduced
09/03/2008 - 09:56:46
A new round the clock air-ambulance service is to be introduced.

In a deal with the Air Corps, the HSE will have use of four fully-equipped helicopters for inter-hospital transfer of patients.

The fleet will be officially launched later this month.

The army choppers can fly day or night and in most weather conditions.

Campaigners for a full helicopter ambulance service have said it will save lives.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhojcwmhcwau/

...145

[Joe McDermott]

I suspect 4 new copters are not on order, so the plan must be to allocate one of the AW139's for 24H standby duty.

Regards,

Joe

[Shamrock145]

More here ...

In a rare good news story, the embattled HSE has entered into an agreement with the Air Corps to use a fleet of four newly-delivered AW-139 helicopters as air ambulances.

The military choppers, capable of flying day or night, and in most weather conditions, were bought for €48m for military purposes

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/air-ambulance--given-clearance-for-hse-takeoff-1311604.html

...145

[Pink Panther]

Great,
All they need now are hospitals with suitable landing pads and this might actually work.

[Imshi-Yallah]

So much for the army having a new level of air support.

If someone took 80m or so of capital investment out of the Health Care budget and put it into the Defence Forces someone might cry fowl.

[Fouga]

Just wait, the 139's will be painted all glossy white with big red crosses on the front and sides.

[Imshi-Yallah]

Everytime a helicopter is painted green or camoflage a man drowns at sea...FACT.

this fact provided by the Irish Anti-War Movement/Friends of the Taliban

[FiSe]

Everytime a helicopter is painted green or camoflage a man drowns at sea...FACT.

this fact provided by the Irish Anti-War Movement/Friends of the Taliban

 

[Irish251]

So much for the army having a new level of air support.

If someone took 80m or so of capital investment out of the Health Care budget and put it into the Defence Forces someone might cry fowl.

I'm desperately trying to think of a "chicken" or "turkey" response to that!

[GoneToTheCanner]

And, eh, will there be an improvement in servicability/availability as a result of this new tasking.I presume that they'll go to a true 24-hr maintenance system to assure 24-hr availability....
regards
GttC

[Vulcan]

Seems odd that the Air Corps invest in military versions of AW-139's and then use them as ambulances?  Why are they not being used for the use they where designed, they should be used to support of Irish troops where Irish troops are deployed.  Why don't the Government / HSE put forward money for the set up of a dedicated air ambulance service with all the associated equipment need for such a service that the AW139s don't have.  The service could still be operated by Air Corp pilots like the GASU.

[Flyboy]

It's HEMS on the cheap, but it's not really HEMS as they will not be available for call out to RTA's etc according to the Sunday Indo article. Will they have their machine guns in situ when transferring organs or patients between hospitals ?

Why not just set up a proper HEMS service ...... woops, that would cost money !!

[cygnet]

Doesnt seem to be any different to what has been done for years except its been put on an official footing - possibly now with a chance of being expanded or the HSE operating out of the don like gasu does !

[jkennedyie]

5 page technical write up on "Air Corps enhances air ambulance service" in Vol 62 Issue 2 of Engineers Journal. Should appear online here: http://www.iei.ie/webpages/pagedetails.pasp?pageid=101&menuid=23 in the coming few weeks. Will post to Air Corps News forum if/when I spot it. (See that forum for previous articles about the 135 and 139 in that journal).

No mention of 24hr service, but several references to Service Level Agreement. I didn't realise the 135 has clamshell doors. Also it talks about specialised military equipment for the 135 including fast-roping arm and rescue hoist but I thought they were 139 only.

Final sentence was interesting..."The AW139 'Medevac' system also provides for a possible overseas role for the aircraft should they be so deployed in the future."