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Helicopter Rescue Checklist, Before you Call
Before you consider using a helicopter for a rescue:
• Have we cross-
cross-trained with this helicopter? Does it have the
equipment and training to meet the task we are asking of it?
• Do we have good communications with the helicopter crew?
• Do I have a good landing zone, a designated landing zone
coordinator and safety officer? Are we prepared at the scene to
rescue the crew in the event of a crash?
• Is the weather adequate or is it deteriorating? (Minimums en route
and at the scene are 1/2 mile horizontal and a 500 foot ceiling.)
• Is there a safer way for the rescue to be effected on the ground?
• Is this a rescue or body recovery?
• Am I doing this to keep ground rescuers from having to exert
themselves?
• Is the patient stable or deteriorating?
• Is this call being driven by an increasing sense of urgency?
Choosing a Landing Zone (LZ)
• Try to select an LZ that is adjacent to the scene to avoid the need for
ground transport that could prolong a patient’s pre-
pre-hospital time.
• Select a landing zone that will allow for an angled approach from at least
one direction. This approach and departure path should be clear of towers,
poles, wires, trees, signs, and other obstructions.
Touchdown Area (LZ)
• Select a touchdown area that is as
flat as possible. The slope should
not be more than ten (10) degrees.
• Ensure the touchdown surface is
firm. Parking lots, roads, sport
fields, and other locations are most
desirable.
• The size of the landing zone during
the day should be 75’X75’. The size
of the landing zone during the night
should be 100’X100’.
– The pilot has the final
say on the selection of
the LZ.
• Ensure the touchdown area is free
of debris and obstructions. Wet the
LZ if it is dusty or has loose gravel.
• Keep spectators and vehicles away
from the landing zone.
Fire equipment
Really dusty!.
Ground Personnel Safety
Only approach
the helicopter, Danger