The dedicated volunteers with Humboldt County Search and Rescue (SAR) sometimes go a long time between call-outs, but they’re always ready. One of the reasons that is true is that they dedicate time and effort to regular training exercises.
SAR recently had a successful joint training exercise with HGH EMS medical personnel and MedX AirOne’s helicopter pilot and crew.
Some parts of Humboldt County are very difficult to access and with a county that is nearly 10,000 square miles, medical help can be a long way away. There have been in the past and will be in the future, times when a remote rescue and transport by medical helicopter means the difference between life and death.
Recognizing that, SAR volunteers were excited to get the opportunity to train with HGH EMS and the medical transport helicopter crew.
“We went through a training in June for national accreditation for Incident Command System (ICS) for search and rescue,” said Steve Kontny of Humboldt County Search and Rescue (SAR.) “That training touched a little on helicopter rescue.” But the volunteers wanted more.
Kontny is the SAR volunteer who works on training exercises for the group. He had been on the Grass Valley Volunteer Fire Department with HGH EMS Acting Chief Sean Burke. He approached Burke with a proposal that the two groups do a joint training involving SAR, HGH EMS and MedX AirOne.
“I thought maybe I was reaching for the stars, but Sean said 'absolutely,'” Kontny related. Both Burke and HGH EMS Captain Fergus Laughridge thought the joint training exercise was an excellent idea and worked to put it together, along with HGH EMS Communications Center personnel and the helicopter crew.
The joint training was set for Aug. 12. The location chosen was Solid Silver Canyon, south of Hinkey Summit in the north portion of Humboldt County.
Mike Cogsdill, HGH EMS Communications Center Supervisor, said the best chance for a good training session would be in the morning hours, so that was the plan. Cogsdill was an essential part of the planning, scheduling and communications that made the event successful, said Burke.
The original start time of 9 a.m. had to be scrapped because the helicopter was dispatched on an emergency medical call early that morning. But by 10:30, the helicopter was back and the training exercise went forward.
“It worked just like a real situation,” Kontny explained. The search and rescue team were told they were looking for one adult. The planners didn’t tell the team the scenario also included a missing child. They got that information from the adult “victim” when he was located. They searched and also located the missing child. Both “patients,” which were actually mannequins, were prepared for transport and then moved toward the helicopter pick-up point.
Kontney learned in July what kind of safety parameters the helicopter needed in a landing location. Those requirements included proper clearance and a reasonably flat surface free of large rocks or ditches. “I’d been up there several times and knew a good spot for them to land,” Kontney said.
The SAR team was equipped with radios and trained in how to guide the helicopter in. They used a smoke grenade to allow the pilot to gauge wind conditions and adjust his approach.
“Once the helicopter landed, the flight crew was fantastic,” according to Kontney. MedX AirOne’s senior pilot, Chris Tuman, talked to the SAR volunteers about safety around the aircraft, then went through the process of transferring the patient from the SAR rescue basket into the helicopter. Then the crew flew the “patient” back to town.
“Overall, it was fantastic training,” Kontney said. “In the event we need to use this resource in the future, we know what is expected of them and of us.”
HGH EMS leadership was also pleased with the exercise. “It all went remarkably well,” said Burke.
Laughridge added, “It was a great opportunity for them to work with our planning folks on aircraft safety, how to approach, how to load. [It was] an excellent opportunity for all the organizations — the helicopter crew, communications center and search and rescue.”
