New Ireland Air Ambulance Website

searescue

Was told about this (also in Emergency Services Forum):
http://www.air-ambulance-ireland.com/

balkanhawk

I thought the Air Corps already provides a 24hr air ambulance service to the HSE? This seems to be daylight only.

Sterling Archer

Can of worms anyone??

The Air Corp, provide it upon request, but this looks like it's going alone the same lines as the other charity air ambulance that was being set up... eg. the respond to accidents within a time "the golden hour", where as the Air Corp have to somewhat refit the aircraft to provide the service...

I'm sure someone else sort it out...

donkey balls

What about the likes of the ICG doing this work? had a look at their website looks like they entered into an ACMI agreement with Bond for the flying end of things.

murphym7

Maybe I have not read the website correctly - is this service begining in the new year? and is it just one helicopter? Where will it be based?

punchdrunk

donkey balls wrote: »

What about the likes of the ICG doing this work? had a look at their website looks like they entered into an ACMI agreement with Bond for the flying end of things.

ICG have to be tasked by MRCC (Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre) which falls under department of Transport,if the HSC request assistance,and MRCC allow it they will respond but the S-61 is huge,way too big to land in any urban area,and even in rural areas it would find it difficult to land (powerlines etc)

Storm 10

punchdrunk wrote: »

ICG have to be tasked by MRCC (Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre) which falls under department of Transport,if the HSC request assistance,and MRCC allow it they will respond but the S-61 is huge,way too big to land in any urban area,and even in rural areas it would find it difficult to land (powerlines etc)

Coastguard S61 is in and out of Galway Hospital nearly every week with patients from the Islands and Fishing Trawlers, no problem getting in and out of the brand new heli pad recently finished there.

searescue

If you remember they used to be the All Ireland Air Ambulance initially setup by Derek Rowe.

There were problems with Derek however wanting to start the service early (running before he could walk), causing bad publicity with delayed launch times.

Derek has left since and no longer involved.

Derek arranged a publicity launch in February of 2009:
http://www.rte.ie/news/av/2009/0216/airambulance_av2492654.html

Plan is to have 3 or 4 aircraft I think, first one to serve Munster area.

punchdrunk

Storm 10 wrote: »

Coastguard S61 is in and out of Galway Hospital nearly every week with patients from the Islands and Fishing Trawlers, no problem getting in and out of the brand new heli pad recently finished there.

Indeed the lads do great work to the islands
But the islands have a runway and a doctor to accompany on the flight

The problem is that the S-61 is the wrong tool or the job

The EC 135 Or dauphin is ideal in this role,it's just a shame we practically gave away our dauphins for nothing

Holybejaysus

I have been following this closely, and I know they have had a lot of internal problems that appear to now be sorted out. The Air Ambulance Ireland (AAI) have a chance now to distinguish themselves-hopefully they will use the opportunity wisely.

However, looking at the board of directors (http://www.airambulanceireland.net/our-people/), I am still a little bit disturbed by the fact that there doesn't appear to be any professional aviation expert on the board, or even advising the AAI. As has already been pointed out, this is not something that non experienced civilians can just jump into. If the AAI wants to succeed from the start, I would strongly advise them to get an ex-Air Corps or civilian pilot as a director, or advisor at the very least.
This project has excellent potential, but please, make sure you get it right from the start-there won't be a second attempt. But I wish them all the best regardless.

The site also says there has been a contract signed for a BO-105 and an EC-135 from Bond Helicopters, and that they will be operating early in the new year. Any idea where they intend to work out of?

Steyr

balkanhawk wrote: »

I thought the Air Corps already provides a 24hr air ambulance service to the HSE? This seems to be daylight only.

Night time too, we have had IAC EC135's and AW139's in and out of UCHG at all hours all their assets are NVG Operational.

They are sort of frequent these few months especially training in and out of UCHG.

resus

Holybejaysus wrote: »

looking at the board of directors (http://www.airambulanceireland.net/our-people/), I am still a little bit disturbed by the fact that there doesn't appear to be any professional aviation expert on the board, or even advising the AAI.

neither is their any medical !!

Delancey

Are these the same group who were exposed as a con job , namely that their 'administration costs ' gobbled up the bulk of the funding they raised ?

Holybejaysus

delancey42 wrote: »

Are these the same group who were exposed as a con job , namely that their 'administration costs ' gobbled up the bulk of the funding they raised ?

No, that was a different crowd up the North. They don't have anything to do with the AAI.

balkanhawk

Just found this on military.ie

Night Vision Goggles used by Air Corps in Air Ambulance mission

20th December 2010, 9pm.
The Air Corps conducted an Air Ambulance mission using specialised Night Vision Equipment in very poor weather conditions this evening.

An Air Corps AW139 helicopter flew a teenage patient from Cork University Hospital to Baldonnel for onward transfer to Tallaght General Hospital.

This is the second Air Ambulance mission carried out by the Air Corps in 3 days involving very poor weather conditions. On Saturday afternoon the Learjet, equipped with a specialised stretcher, carried a sick child from Baldonnel to a snowbound London for an urgent transplant operation.

The Air Corps is the only organisation within the state with this specialised Night Vision Equipment capability, enabling the pilot crew to operate in reduced visibility conditions and enhancing the overall safety of night time helicopter operations.

This evening’s operation was the 63rd Air Ambulance operation carried out by the Air Corps so far this year.
Air Ambulance missions are carried out in accordance with a Service Level Agreement (SLA) which exists between the Department of Defence and the Department of Health and Children. Such missions include the transfer of organ retrieval and transplant teams as well as acutely ill patients between various locations in Ireland and the UK.
The aircraft used to conduct Air Ambulance operations are:

CASA CN235
Learjet 45
Augusta Westland (AW) 139
Eurocopter (EC) 135.

The Learjet 45, AW 139 and EC 135 all have the capability to enable a ‘Life Port’ system to be installed if required. This system allows a stretcher to be transferred directly from an ambulance onto the aircraft with all life support systems remaining fully operational. Each aircraft is fully
compatible with the power supply and oxygen requirements of all medical teams.

Holybejaysus

That website is down now....

IrishB.ie

Holybejaysus wrote: »

That website is down now....

http://www.airambulanceireland.net/

Moved down the road to a new address.....:)

IrishB.ie

Regardless of who is doing it, at least lives are hopefully being saved. Two more from the Air Corps.

http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/government-learjet-flies-boy-to-op-2472724.html

Holybejaysus

So have they a launch date set or what?

Ho chi feen

Any news if this service is operating yet?

resus

Why would it be operating ? It's not done anything in what, 3 years now? Except perhaps paid administration expenses from the money it's raised.

To operate it needs HSE ambulance service backing. Why on earth should the HSE ambulance service speak to an organisation without any basic clinical governance structure, like PHECC registration for one thing? It's what really irritates me, as this is a service that is desperately needed, but clearly run by people without a clue in health care or aviation provision. Where are the pilots in this organisation? Where are the doctors? Where are the paramedics?