Our Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) team consists of registered critical care flight paramedics who crew all aircraft. The team are highly trained and experienced prehospital emergency care clinicians and are also dual-trained as rescue medics/swimmers – able to be deployed via the helicopter hoist during search and rescue operations, either land-based or maritime. Additionally, several of the team are further trained as paramedic aircrew officers (Para-ACOs). These individuals undertake a variety of crewman duties, including operating the helicopter hoist.
Meet Our Paramedics
Training of the crew
Ongoing training and education are part of the job. Our paramedics regularly undertake clinical simulation training and are also required to complete several workplace-based clinical assessments each year. In addition, they participate in a monthly clinical governance meeting and regularly attend medical conferences, both nationally and abroad, enabling them to observe the latest research and developments in prehospital emergency care. Notable clinical interventions and diagnostics our paramedics perform include:
- Drug-assisted airway management
- Fibrinolytic therapy in the treatment of heart attacks
- Point-of-care ultrasound examination
Our paramedics are required to complete and pass a yearly land and water-based physical fitness test, as well as a Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET) course every two years. Regular live winch training is also a requirement (at least every three months), and this includes one or more of several evolutions, e.g., confined area (bush), water, boat, and night.
