HELICOPTER AMBULANCE STUDY

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A HELICOPTER AMBULANCE WAS DETERMINED IN INCREASING THE CHANCES OF SURVIVAL OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS. ALSO CONSIDERED IN THE STUDY WERE THE REACTIONS OF THOSE TRANSPORTED, OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS AT LANDING AT ACCIDENT SITES AND HOSPITALS, WEATHER RESTRICTIONS, COMMUNICATIONS, HELICOPTER CHARACTERISTICS, POSSIBLE AREA OF COVERAGE, COSTS AND OTHER THAN MEDICAL USES OF THE HELICOPTER. THE NEED FOR HELICOPTER AMBULANCE SERVICE WAS DETERMINED BY THE OFFICER AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE. THE STATE POLICE NOTIFIED BOTH THE HELICOPTER AND THE HOSPITAL OF THE SITUATION. THE HELICOPTER PATROLLED DENSE TRAFFIC CORRIDORS DURING PEAK TRAFFIC HOURS AND REPORTED DISABLED VEHICLES, MINOR ACCIDENTS AND TRAFFIC CONGESTION TO GROUND CONTROL. ALL HELICOPTER OPERATIONS WERE ACCIDENT FREE. THE AVERAGE TRIP TIME OF THE AMBULANCE VERSES HELICOPTER WAS A 50% REDUCTION OF TIME FROM HELICOPTER USE. THE COST OF THIS STUDY WAS $161,250 FOR BOTH THE MEDICAL AND POLICE FUNCTIONS. A COST EFFECTIVENESS SHOWED A HELICOPTER TO BE JUSTIFIED IF IT SAVED AT LEAST ONE LIFE IN 600 AIRLIFTS. THIS STUDY CONCLUDED THE HELICOPTER CAN IMPROVE THE LEVEL OF MEDICAL SERVICE, BY REDUCING TRAVEL TIME EVEN IN AN AREA WHERE EXISTING AMBULANCE SERVICE IS CONSIDERED TO BE ABOVE AVERAGE. /SRIS/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • 10 Pp, 64 FIG, 14 TAB
• Corporate Authors:

  Copters, Incorporated

  ,    
• Authors:
  • COLEMAN, R R
  • Hobson, A A
• Publication Date: 1969-5

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Emergency vehicles; Helicopters; Medical services; Survival; Traffic crashes; Traffic incidents; Traffic patrol; Travel time
• Uncontrolled Terms: Disabled vehicles
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00220664
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Nat Safety Council Safety Res Info Serv
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 15 1971 12:00AM