A partnership between Anderson Emergency Medical Services and area landowners has yielded a network of pre-established landing zones that can be used in emergencies, to evacuate patients to area hospital. County EMS Director Troy Armstrong, says the landing zones are coupled with an expedited call option that allows dispatchers in the county to more quickly request air ambulance pickups. Armstrong called it a “game changing project” in the EMS system. He added that the communications center now is just a few clicks away from requesting an air ambulance.
Those calls have pre-determined locations to set down, which pilots know will be free of obstructions, with close access to roadways and they don’t have to hike over land. The zones allow EMS teams to quickly select a safe location for the helicopter to land, getting patients the critical care they need even faster.
The new system was put to a test recently when a traffic accident near Welda required an air ambulance. The copter was able to set down on nearby property and Armstrong says the system worked flawlessly, which shows why the project is so important.
