In the medical transport industry, ensuring safety and maintaining the highest standards of care are paramount. To achieve these goals, Flight For Life hosted our annual Safety Day at the Waukesha Base. This event brought together Flight For Life and Apollo crew members as well as members of the Children’s Wisconsin Transport Team to participate in a day of learning, collaboration, and skill-building. The Safety Day featured a range of hands-on skills stations and classroom lectures, with a focus on enhancing safety protocols and maintaining safe operations.  Safety Day serves as an opportunity to reinforce and remind crew members about the importance of safety protocols and enhance the skills of the medical transport teams.

Hands-On Skill Stations

A major highlight from the Safety Day was the hands-on skill stations. These stations provided a practical and interactive platform for the HEMS transport teams to refine their skills and enhance their knowledge. Here are some of the hands-on activities that took place:

-Helicopter Safety: Team members engaged in helicopter safety exercises, practicing safe entry and exit procedures, secure patient loading and unloading, and aircraft safety checks.

-Communication and Teamwork: Effective communication is vital during emergency transport. Teams practiced their communication skills to ensure seamless coordination during high-pressure situations.

-Equipment Familiarization: Crew members familiarized themselves with the medical equipment and technologies used in HEMS transport, ensuring their ability to operate them with precision.

-Emergency procedures:  Crew members utilized fire extinguishers to become familiar with their use and operation.  Our partners at Ahern were on site to provide an impressive simulation. 

Classroom Lectures

In addition to the practical hands-on sessions, the Safety Day included classroom lectures on various critical topics. The classroom component served as an opportunity to delve deeper into critical communication and discuss emerging best practices in HEMS transport. Topics covered in the lectures included information on safe HEMS operations, delivering effective and efficient communication, and focusing on scene safety when out in the field.  These presentations were provided by several FFL crewmembers and a few community partners, which we are incredibly fortunate to have. 

The Flight For Life Safety Day exemplifies the commitment of HEMS transport teams to ensuring the highest standards of safety and care. In the critical field of emergency medical transport, continuous learning and skill refinement are essential to providing patients with the best possible outcomes. Safety Day served as a powerful reminder of the importance of preparedness, teamwork, and safety in lifesaving missions. It reinforced the dedication of these professionals to their mission of saving lives, one flight at a time.