AVIATION
Aviation personnel conduct proficiency
training in hoisting a stokes litter with a
tag line at Apple Valley Airport
Sherwin
By: Eric
By: Jeff Allen
T
he joint San
Bernardino County Fire/
Sheriff aviation program has
had many notable calls since
its inception six months ago.
One of these incidents proved the
value of auto-launching Air Rescue
to remote areas of our county.
On Mon., May 26 (Memorial Day), San Bernardino County
Fire received numerous reports of a traffic collision
with multiple patients ejected on Highway 395 near
the community of Red Mountain. Air Rescue 06 was
dispatched with ground units from County Fire and Kern
County Fire Dept.
Sheriff deputies and CHP units arrived on scene first,
confirming numerous patients had been ejected from the
vehicle and that some had critical injuries. Kern County
Engine 75 from Randsburg arrived on scene 21 minutes
after dispatch and was able to provide initial triage and
basic life support to the injured.
AR06 was the second-arriving fire department unit,
adding paramedic level care to the scene. Staffing
that day included Captain/Paramedic Steve Simpson,
Firefighter/Paramedic Eric Sherwin, Deputy/EMT (and
crew chief) John Scalise, physician’s assistant/Air Medic
Chris Williams and pilot Dave Borgerd. Captain Simpson
established incident command while Sherwin and Williams
coordinated treatment and triage with Kern County Fire
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EMT’s. Scalise assumed air operations to handle three
more inbound medical helicopters.
Within 11 minutes AR06 was enroute to LLUMC with the
most injured child. However, the crew’s dynamic staffing
model, which allows the crew to divide and multi-task,
meant Capt. Simpson could remain on scene as IC before
ultimately passing command to County Fire Medic Engine
4, which had arrived as the helicopter was leaving the
scene. Simpson then assumed air ops to cover for the
Scalise, who had accompanied the medics for transport.
This call exemplifies the value provided by the joint fire/
sheriff aviation program. The ability to bring command
and control to the scene as early as possible is essential.
AR06 provided clear communication and accurate
information to the additional units assigned to the incident
while simultaneously initiating ALS care and rapid
transport for the most critically injured patients.
Aviation personnel assemble bambi bucket
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