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Flight for Life helicopter offers new avalanche search tool |
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Wednesday, December 07, 2011 09:08 |
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By JANICE KURBJUN, SUMMIT DAILY NEWS
Summit County's Flight for Life Colorado helicopter could be the second air medical device in the U.S. to be outfitted with an external beacon receiver — a powerful device that hangs below the helicopter to assist in locating avalanche victims.
The University of Utah recently broke the ice in the air medical world with testing and training with the device, which has been common in Europe, Canada and New Zealand for years, Flight for Life paramedic Kevin Kelble said. Kelble is also in charge of coordinating the statewide Avalanche Deployment and Lift Ticket programs, which bring Flight for Life's services together with ski patrol and search and rescue needs.
With Utah's Air Methods program paving the way, Kelble wants to get the device on board in Colorado to speed up the search process — and keep it safer.
“We can minimize the danger with this tool. Why not use it?” he said, adding that it's another tool in the belt for rescue missions.
“We have a long, long history of committing resources to support ski patrol and search and rescue,” Kelble said of the beacon installation. It will require initial expenses for permitting and training, and ongoing expenses for the same, he said. But assisting backcountry rescues is something that's been a part of the Flight for Life operation since the 1992 creation of Avalanche Deployment and the 1996 Lift Ticket programs. Kelble attributes it to being one of 34 nonprofit air medical helicopters remaining nationwide.
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