News
MARCH 2010: The WAMC works together toward Safety and Vision Zero:
The
WAMC is working with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to
develop standardized landing zone guidelines. These standardized
guidelines, once complete, will be provided in the new revised
“Emergency Traffic Control and Scene Management” guidelines. These
guidelines are provided to Traffic Incident Management Partners and Law
Enforcement. The members of the WAMC hope this work with the state will
provide some universal guidelines and standardize safety practices
throughout the state for setting up a helicopter landing zone at the
scene of an accident. The WAMC stresses that all law enforcement
agencies, Fire and EMS Departments contact their local air medical
providers for additional information and education.
All the
members of the WAMC have begun to utilize a software program (Weather
Turn Down) to notify each other of a flight request that was turned
down due to weather. This information is provided in real time. The
software assists other programs if they have received a similar request
in an effort to prevent helicopter shopping when a flight program has
turned down a request to referring agency for weather. It is part of an
effort to prevent crashes from weather. This program is part of an
initiative through the FAA and a grant provided by MedEac Foundation
International to produce the DVD entitled “The Hazards of Helicopter
Shopping”. This video was available for flight programs to distribute
to their referring customers to prevent this type of tragedy.