How Air Ambulances Work
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Hospital-based air ambulances provide transportation between medical facilities
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Air ambulances participating in a hospital-based service are called upon to provide patient and also organ transports to other medical facilities. Since the service is administrated by the hospital, it is up to the medical facility to provide the healthcare personnel that is needed on the flights.
Community-based air ambulances render aid in times of emergencies or crisis
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Air ambulances associated with communities may take off from airports, hospitals and fire stations. They are dispatched by emergency medical personnel from various agencies, law enforcement departments and hospital emergency teams. The air ambulance operator is responsible for furnishing a team of emergency medical professionals who will provide care for the patient during the flight.
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Air ambulances are equipped with high-tech equipment to keep patients and crew safe
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Air ambulance operators anticipate that they will perform in adverse weather and visibility conditions, such as during rain storms, at night, in the midst of firefighting efforts, and at times also during storm activity. For this reason, the aircraft are equipped not only with the latest medical equipment but also with night vision imaging systems, storm tracking equipment, search lights and structure evasion systems.
Air ambulance service providers differ with respect to equipment
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An air ambulance is most commonly associated with a helicopter, but there are also fixed-wing aircraft that are used for patient transport. In some cases, the company may also operate emergency medical response vehicles, as is the case with Flight for Life. This makes the air ambulance service a sought-after medical transportation provider since the patient can be transported seamlessly from one location to another, without having to switch transport companies.
Physicians work in air ambulance dispatch towers to provide medical advice
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In addition to dispatchers and air traffic workers, air ambulance dispatch centers--such as the one operated by STAT MedEvac--also employ physicians who are on duty at all times to provide medical advice and remote assistance to the crews on the flights.
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- Photo Credit Trevor MacInnis/Wikimedia Commons
