Air Evac helicopter visits C'Shores VFD for training

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

Some folks in Cottonwood Shores might have noticed the helicopter alighting at the volunteer fire department landing zone Tuesday night, Feb. 17. Don’t worry; it was just a continuation of the department’s training regimen.

CSVFD members receive training from Air Evac Lifeteam representatives periodically, said Fire Chief Travis Hockensmith. The department has seen membership increasing, and some of the new volunteers did not know how to set up a landing zone yet.

“The new guys will be learning how to coordinate a landing zone, such as where to put the trucks to block traffic,” said Captain Adam Hernandez.

Hockensmith added that, when possible, trucks are parked under power lines or near other hazards that can’t be seen easily from the air. “They can’t land on a truck,” so it helps the pilot avoid that hazard.

“A big part of our job is communicating with the helicopter about conditions on the ground, like wind direction,” Hockensmith said.

Crowd control is another big job for first responders. “Spectators always want to see the helicopter land, but rotor wash can be dangerous,” he said. Plus, “an ambulance is coming in hot.”

Hockensmith mentioned his particular concern with controlling children in a helicopter rescue situation.

John Hamilton, Air Evac flight paramedic, explained in his 30-minute presentation that the main role of firefighters is to serve as “landing safety officers,” allowing flight paramedics and nurses to tend to the patient. “If we’re called in, it’s likely to be serious,” he said.

Medics make the final decision of whether to call aerial rescue, but fire department members can put the service on standby, which both Hamilton and Hockensmith recommended.

“We’re called for any situation that’s time-sensitive, especially trauma, stroke and heart attacks,” Hamilton said. “We have everything a regular ambulance has, but the advantage we have is speed: we can get to an Austin trauma center [from Cottonwood Shores] in 15-17 minutes.”

“Austin is really not far as the crow flies,” he said. “My ambulance goes 130 mph, versus the 8 mph” of an ambulance weaving through traffic and other hazards. 

See Friday's Highlander for the full story.