AirMed Visit to EskDale

 AirMed, the medical helicopter from the University of Utah hospital, recently came to visit EskDale. They have a new base in Nephi, which makes it the closest medical helicopter to our area. We were running a little late, so as we drove up, I told the kids to look for the helicopter. Desert Boy spotted it flying along the mountains. I had to stop and take a photo because it looked so cool.

After a circle around EskDale, the helicopter prepared for landing. We know the pilot, so that made it extra exciting.

We parked and walked over to the front of the center and everyone was waiting for the okay to come over. It's a two-minute shut down procedure on the Jet Ranger 407, so the flight nurse was gesturing for everyone to stay back. Once the helicopter was off, we all got to approach and take a closer look. There was a good turnout.

I've recently had training with AirMed, so I had heard most of the talk, but it was good to have some of the points reinforced. It's really nice to know that we have such a high level of care available in about 45 minutes, especially since the nearest hospital is over an hour away and most of our ambulances are just basic life support.

The helicopters are staffed with a pilot, flight nurse, and paramedic. They carry quite advanced gear on them, allowing them to act as a mini portable emergency room.

We wanted to stay longer, but had to leave as I had another commitment. But we sure enjoyed the opportunity to learn more.