Firefighters get air lift training

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A PhI helicopter lands behind the Pittsboro firehouse. Ryan Palencer/Flyer Photo

July 10, 2009

By Ryan Palencer The Hendricks County Flyer Fri Jul 10, 2009, 11:57 AM EDT

PITTSBORO — A string of serious car accidents lately has left rescue workers here looking for any advantage they can find to help future victims.

In order to educate the members of three area fire departments, the Pittsboro Fire Department recently hosted a Landing Zone Presentation for PhI Air Medical.

“(PhI Air Medical) was used throughout the county in the past couple of weeks and gave the viable patients better outcomes than them taking them by ground,” said Daniel Huff, a firefighter/paramedic with the Pittsboro Fire Department.

Huff, who organized the program, thought the surrounding fire departments could also benefit from it, so firefighters from Lizton and North Salem were invited to join the Pittsboro department.

“As I began to put this class together and I looked at the map, I noticed that this portion of the county, because for the routes of travel, that the three fire departments in the northern part of the county are going to respond to any serious instance that we have,” Huff said. “I realized and recognized that there would be a good interest in doing this because of the potential for anything that might happen. With the 30 people that we have here, we have increased the amount of people who are prepared to use air medical.”

In addition to learning more about the system, Huff also got an opportunity to ride in the helicopter.

“I have been in the Air Force Reserve for almost 10 years now,” Huff said. “I have flown in a jet up in military air space higher than a commercial airplane would ever fly and I thought that was the greatest thing ever. But this, flying in a helicopter with this crew, was the best experience of my life.”

PhI Air Medical is a tool that assists the county in quickly transporting patients by air to the treatment necessary.

“PhI Air Medical is a valuable resource that responders in Hendricks County and throughout the area have at our disposal for serious medical conditions, car wrecks and those types of things,” Huff said. “When they are far enough from the hospital, it reduces the transport time from scene to advanced care. If we are out in the western part of the county and we have a serious car wreck, and that person needs the advanced care that only Wishard or Methodist can offer, they’ll be able to fly them right there and cut our transport times in half.”

Huff said this presentation allowed the attendees to get a better understanding of the equipment, and thus assist them in their job, if faced with a serious situation.

“It is very important for responders to have a general working knowledge when air medical is going to be indicated,” Huff said. “Also the safety considerations of setting up a landing zone, making sure the area are clear and making sure traffic is clear. To give our patients the best possible outcome that they can have, we have the ability to use air medical.”

ryan.palencer@flyergroup.com

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