Local personnel train for helicopter response

While some may say the sound of a helicopter is unnerving because someone’s likely having one of the worst days of their life, for those who are on the ground tending to that patient’s needs, it is the sound of help on the way to take that patient to where they need to be in the quickest way possible.

Local paramedic Casey Larson taught a class Saturday, April 1 in Greenfield with local first responders teaching them what they need to know if they should ever be on an accident scene and need to call for a helicopter to transport a patient. He was very pleased with the turnout as over 20 first responders filed into the meeting room at the fire station.

The training not only included class time, it included team-building extrication training at Clayton Auto Salvage, and the experience of flying an actual helicopter into the hospital so that participants could see the helicopter up close. This allowed them to witness its safety hazards and the processes needed to facilitate an air transport from the ground in the safest manner possible.

Larson has the unique experience, out of the plethora of talented Adair County responders there are, of having worked both on the ground in emergency medical services (EMS) and in the air. He currently works about one-fourth of his hours every week with LifeFlight, which is the Unity Point-afilliated helicopter that is out of Des Moines. Much of the rest of the time, he works with Adair County Ambulance and the emergency department at the hospital here.

Though Adair County Health System is within the MercyOne network, the first available helicopter always responds when one is needed here in the county. Sometimes that means it is MercyOne’s chopper, while other times it is LifeFlight or another one altogether. This means helicopters coming here originate from Des Moines, Knoxville, Clarinda, Audubon and Omaha, the most frequently.

Larson said that a conservative estimation is that at least every 12 to 15 days a helicopter is requested for service within Adair County. Time and blood are the two foremost advantages to calling a helicopter. It takes less than half the driving time for a helicopter to fly here from whereever it is. It carries blood on board, and very few ground ambulances do.

We’re getting into what Larson calls “trauma season.” As people enjoy the outdoors, accidents can happen when they’re boating, riding horses, riding four-wheelers, dirt bikes, fishing or camping.

In the class, topics covered were weather requirements for flying; requesting a helicopter; selecting a safe landing zone; communicating with the flight crew; and facilitating a safe scene before, during and after the helicopter’s arrival.

Larson said the greatest risks occur when the helicopter is arriving and departing a scene.

There is a uniquely high reverence for safety measures in air EMS. While it takes three crew members to decide to fly, it only takes one of them who is uncomfortable to ask that the helicopter land or turn around in a situation where they feel unsafe.

“Most accidents happen in descending and ascending before they transition into forward flight. If they don’t have that forward motion, they’re just falling like a rock. When we come in we want to make sure there’s nothing in the way. When those helicopters crash, everything just goes out,” Larson said. “While it’s the most nerve racking part, it’s also the most fun part. To see that thing lift then transition into forward flight, or to see it come in, sit down (and dance if it’s windy) it’s super exciting and super dangerous.”

Larson began as a first responder with Greenfield Fire Department. Wanting to learn more, he grew in knowledge and worked his way toward becoming a paramedic. Eventually he took the leap into the air EMS world.

“I got into it because I wanted to do the next thing. I had gotten very comfortable on the ground. I got to a point where I wasn’t growing anymore, in terms of medicine,” Larson said. “That’s not to say that I know everything, because I don’t. But in the day to day, I wasn’t being stretched and feeling growth. I decided I was going to try.”

Larson started by working to study about treating various specialty care transports. A few examples of these are patients needing ventilators, trach tubes and other uniquely challenging cases.

“I just wanted to fly. I don’t want to call it a pinnacle, but it’s definitely the high point. It’s more training and it’s more specialized,” Larson said. “You get more one-on-one, focused training. There’s a lot more money put into training when you get to that level.”

To work for AirMethods — the company that owns almost every helicopter in this part of Iowa, regardless of the health system on the side of the chopper — Larson had to endure an extensive boot camp-like training and testing process. That is who he began working for in Texas, when his family lived there for a time. Those who don’t make the cut on the test don’t get an interview.

Larson said residents of Adair County should feel very reassured about the first responders and resources they have in EMS here, should they ever have to call on them.

“The Adair County hospital staffs an ambulance to a paramedic level 24/7/365. In addition, we have our area fire departments. They’re some of the most helpful people I’ve ever worked around. They’re all doing it for free. To me, they’re the real heroes and are the integral part of the local EMS system,” Larson said. “Some people hate the sound of that helicopter, and there are two sides. I can tell you that there are a handful of people where that is the sound of relief. Not only is that patient having their worst day, I’m having ‘a bad day’ at work. I’m having to work extra hard because something bad is happening to someone. Hearing that helicopter come in is often a breath of fresh air or a sign of relief that help is on the way and that patient is going to get to where they need to be.”