Air Corps air ambulance

[Clacks]

Probably the other way around. I believe Shannon did close to 90 SAR missions on top of the 100 AA missions inc HEMS missions ( nobody else doing those at the mo). I believe it was always the plan to roll it out with the introduction of the 92's across the 4 IRCG bases. That's the reason certain people were getting hot under the collar about the new IRCG SAR contract and throwing their dummies out of the pram, so to speak.
Anyway, that's all behind us now, isn't it. So, when complete, the country will have 4x 92 HEMS approved helos based around the coast with an IAC helo operating from the midlands. That's pretty much all of the country well covered.

The contract was based on providing a multi-functional service so the HEMS requirement was in the tender and cant now be appealed. The Athlone service never went to tender so we dont know the real costs. Anyway once we have 5 aircraft 24/7 HEMs and inland SAR Ireland will be in great stead for AA. After all taxpayers money pays for both. The only question is how long will the trial last in athlone?? If the AC are going long term itll need a Finner type set up properly manned on a fixed roster and not the daily flight up and down as at the moment. PS How many P1's and P2's are on the Athlone roster?

Big difference though is that the Athlone service has an AP onboard. thats a big plus for the patient

[Clacks]

Don't know if the details on that DoT website are accurate. It was the AC that launched the new EAS not the IRCG as the website proclaims and the 100 ops probably refers to IAC EAS missions. I am of course open to correction!

The accompanying PR blurb says its Coast Guard EAS missions only and that the Coast Guard EAS started in July. A lot of these are done anyway for years past such as island medevacs, remote area casualty extraction, etc so no IAC stuff is in there. We have our own stats which are a little different from what the Coast Guard publish.

[Pure Hover]

The accompanying PR blurb says its Coast Guard EAS missions only and that the Coast Guard EAS started in July. A lot of these are done anyway for years past such as island medevacs, remote area casualty extraction, etc so no IAC stuff is in there. We have our own stats which are a little different from what the Coast Guard publish.

NO it doesn't - suggest you read it again. It says quite clearly that the IRCG launched an EAS service in July when it didn't. The EAS is a dedicated service with AP support.

So CHC stats ARE different to that of the Coastguard. Quelle surprise!

[Pure Hover]

The contract was based on providing a multi-functional service so the HEMS requirement was in the tender and cant now be appealed. The Athlone service never went to tender so we dont know the real costs. Anyway once we have 5 aircraft 24/7 HEMs and inland SAR Ireland will be in great stead for AA. After all taxpayers money pays for both. The only question is how long will the trial last in athlone??
Big difference though is that the Athlone service has an AP onboard. thats a big plus for the patient

The contract is based on providing a SAR helicopter service not a HEMS service which is not part of the contract. The fact that IRCG helicopters can assist the HSE with Air Ambulance is welcome and means the State is getting a better return for its massive investment (that is of course that there's not additional charges involved). Having a HEMS certified a/c or operation is not much real use to the HSE unless there's AP support onboard.

Probably up to the HSE/NAS to decide on the future of the EAS but apparently the pilot project is for a year.

[Clacks]

Would agree. at the end of the days its for the ambulance service and their call and whether the IAC want to continue or DoD will run with it. PS cant find a definition of EAS online that requires it to be AP? Can you post a link? I thought the term EAS actually came from the Coast Guard tender process to avoid the word HEMS in consultation with the NAS as far as I know so it pre-dates the IAC service. I know its in the coast guard HSE agreement dating back a few years and was to be a 61 trial in 2010 out of Shannon but had certification issues with that machine. If rumours are right a very senior IAC man now IAA was part of that pre-tender creation team was he not?? Hmmmm......

[Goldie fish]

Would agree. at the end of the days its for the ambulance service and their call and whether the IAC want to continue or DoD will run with it. PS cant find a definition of EAS online that requires it to be AP? Can you post a link? I thought the term EAS actually came from the Coast Guard tender process to avoid the word HEMS in consultation with the NAS as far as I know so it pre-dates the IAC service. I know its in the coast guard HSE agreement dating back a few years and was to be a 61 trial in 2010 out of Shannon but had certification issues with that machine. If rumours are right a very senior IAC man now IAA was part of that pre-tender creation team was he not?? Hmmmm......

And the 2012 prize for most use of jargon goes to...

Please clarify what the following mean, for those of us not in the profession?
IAC
DoD(I'm Guessing Department of Defence)
PS
EAS
AP
HEMS
NAS
HSE
IAA

[Pure Hover]

Would agree. at the end of the days its for the ambulance service and their call and whether the IAC want to continue or DoD will run with it. PS cant find a definition of EAS online that requires it to be AP? Can you post a link? I thought the term EAS actually came from the Coast Guard tender process to avoid the word HEMS in consultation with the NAS as far as I know so it pre-dates the IAC service. I know its in the coast guard HSE agreement dating back a few years and was to be a 61 trial in 2010 out of Shannon but had certification issues with that machine. If rumours are right a very senior IAC man now IAA was part of that pre-tender creation team was he not?? Hmmmm......

Have a look at this HSE link - explains a lot

http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/Find_a_Service/ambulanceservice/news/eas_article.pdf

It's a completely new venture and would not have been part of a previous tender.

[SARMAN]

Well folks, is it not called EAS as a result of military aicraft not being allowed to do hems???

Some miss information out there about the coast guard doing a massive amount of hems work in the 92. You will find that the figures mentioned are totally not correct. Shannon base done 186 jobs last year with about 14 hems jobs. Hse and coast guard only cross paths when the iac cannot provide.

Also someone has stated that the 92 does not have the same hems equipment that the iac have. This is totally not the fact, anything that the 139 has the 92 has in terms of medical equipment, no 100% ap cover granted (this leads to a separate question).

Without question the iac and the hse are providing a reasonable service to the people of the state and I am delighted to see the iac have a purpose and correct use of the aircraft and personnel. I would hope that the service in maintained and intact enhanced to a 24/7 service to utilise the all talked about NVG's..

Back to the ap's being rostered to the heli, with the quantity of calls the aircraft apears to be doing, how many more calls would they do on properly positioned rrv's? Is the ap skill set required in all cases or is it being used as rapid transport service to a centre of excellence?

You will also find that the hse/iac operation did come as a result of a&e closures. And the coast guard did have hems capability in the contract almost 5 years ago. So who is following who!!

Finally I feel if we do have in the future, 4 24/7 hems capable aircraft (with full rips & icing protection) & 1 maybee 2 139's the country would be in a fairly good state, considering where we are coming from. At least the coast guard will be able to back up the hse/iac.

That is all for now!!!

[danno]

[QUOTE=Clacks;385143 ......... If rumours are right a very senior IAC man now IAA was part of that pre-tender creation team was he not?? Hmmmm......[/QUOTE]

If other reports are correct another very senior IAC man now CHC was lead tender writer for the CHC team that won the tender was he not?? Hmmmmmmm....

[DeV]

SARMAN if the S92 has the same equipment as the AW139, without an AP, they may be carrying equipment or medication that they aren't allowed to use.

[SARMAN]

Quite simply dev, No. The s92 works of all the rules of the state, I.e IAA & PHECC. AP's have skills above Paramedics and Paramedics work to there skill set as do advanced paramedics and you will find that even ap's will need a doctor or aproval on a case by case senario to use some hems equipment/drugs. If you simply read the cpgs, issued by phecc you will see umprio, in a lot of boxes.

S92 crews are audited by phecc & iaa on a regular basis, so nothing outside the box would be allowed..

[DeV]

I already knew that

[Clacks]

And the 2012 prize for most use of jargon goes to...

Please clarify what the following mean, for those of us not in the profession?
IAC
DoD(I'm Guessing Department of Defence)
PS
EAS
AP
HEMS
NAS
HSE
IAA

Sorry about that but I assumed we were all aviators here. Emergency Aeromedical service which is in the service agreements for the coast guard since about 2008, HEMs, HSE and IAC you know, Advanced paramedic, dept of Defence, Irish Aviation Authority and national ambulance service.

Two things strike me. One is when 4 x 92s are in play Ireland will be well served. What the 61's have done for years and years is EAS work but labelled SAR. Now that EAS work is being extended into the HEMS arena. secondly the 135 and 139 are more suitable HEMS aircraft and have AP's onboard all the time and are fully dedicated to the NAS. Coast Guard is not. So SARMAN is right. Coast Guard will fill in where the IAC cant. History here is not kind to the IAC on reliability so thats an issue should the trial extend past 12 months.

So it is happy days for the citizens of ireland. they have in effect competition in the HEMS market - that can only be good for the patient/

[Rhodes]

Nice picture.



This picture was taken today in Roscrea before being tasked to a spinal injury in Wexford.



On the M6 last week.

[Happyman]

So why are the CG saying the contracted helicopters completed 'nearly 100' missions when clearly they didn't, makes you wonder what other parts of the press release are inaccurate. I’d hate to be out and sea and need a helicopter to find out it’s doing HEMS job! I thought their contact was to supply maritime Search and Rescue?