This evening, I had the unique opportunity to visit the Med-Flight hangar as a part of the CERT program here in Chesterfield County, VA.
I had a great time learning about all that the pilots and crews do to ensure that people in need get the proper medical attention fast.
There were several lessons learned from my experience.
1. The crews in the sky are highly trained and highly qualified. I had the opportunity to speak with a crew and they are very knowledgeable and it was clear to me that they were the best of the best.
2. Med-Flight shows that interagency operations work. While the Virginia State Police operate the helicopter, the Chesterfield EMS work inside, and the Virginia Emergency Management Agency controls the radio. It is a great example of government cooperation assisting the people of the state.
3. The aircraft goes very fast. I know that sounds lame, but at over 160 mile per hour when they are in a hurry—this is a big deal. They can get near the North Carolina border in roughly 30-40 minutes. That is very comforting to know that medical care is that close, even if it is far away.
Again, I had wonderful time seeing what the Med-Flight crews work with and how they care for patients around the area.