Crews engaged in the Areus air ambulance service are currently undergoing training. Training is taking place on a rotational basis between Cagliari, Alghero, and Olbia, the helicopter bases of the regional Emergency and Urgency company, which has been managing the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) since 2018. The training is conducted using the two types of helicopters in service: the AW 139 based in Olbia and the EC 145 T2 based in Alghero and Cagliari.
The training involves 36 HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) specialists , including medical and nursing staff, along with operators from the Sardinian Alpine and Speleological Rescue Service who, in addition to the aeronautical component, consisting of a pilot and co-pilot for night flights and a flight technician qualified to use the winch, make up the crew.
The Air Rescue service is part of the Areus territorial Emergency-Urgency network and is activated by the 118 Operations Centers of Sassari and Cagliari to complement the ground rescue system with ambulances.
All healthcare personnel working in the Air Rescue Service must undergo periodic training at least once a year to ensure high standards of safety and operational efficiency.
The exercise involves particularly complex operations in rugged and mountainous environments where, in addition to skill in rescue movements, specific medical rescue maneuvers are required.
The teams were taken to the sites of Domusnovas for the Cagliari air rescue, Fertilia in the Arenosu area for the Alghero-based crew, and Monte Pino for the Olbia-based crew.
The training includes special operations in remote areas where helicopter landing is not possible: hovering with the helicopter stationary in the air and the use of the winch to recover the patient and the team.
The goal is to have paramedics train on the helicopters they typically work on and obtain certification for the aircraft they use.
(Unioneonline)
