MEETING THE COUNTY VISION:
Air Rescue Update
The lower temps and shorter days of winter are usually signs of a drop in
calls for County Fire Air Rescue. While this did prove true in some respects,
there were many notable events around San Bernardino County Sheriff’s
Aviation that made fall anything but boring.
In October, we welcomed back helicopter AR307 from Canada after receiving
new power plants, transmission, and a new paint scheme. The maintenance
staff worked diligently to install necessary equipment and work out some
‘bugs’ to get it back in service. AR306 performed admirably in 07’s absence
and proved to be a reliable workhorse during the busy summer months.
At this point, Corporal Gilley advised that clouds were again
moving into the area, and that AR06 would have to lift or
risk becoming weathered in on the mountain. Futscher and
Sherwin agreed that they were sufficiently outfitted and
decided to remain on scene to locate and rescue the female.
In the 30 seconds that it took to have this conversation, the
ridgeline disappeared in the clouds, and AR06 was forced to
hold its position at the landing zone.
Speaking of summer, with the number of rescues at Big Falls in Forest Falls
spiking during that time, the United States Forest Service made a tough
decision to close that trail for public protection. It was a wise decision in light
of the serious injuries that Stations 99, 9 and Air Rescue were responding to
at the base of the falls.
Some other notable events and calls of the past few months were:
1. Victorville swiftwater rescue drill
Shortly thereafter, Futscher located the female victim about
300 yards down slope from the ridgeline. “She was crawling
on her hands and knees toward what I can only imagine was
the sound of the helicopter,” said Futscher. She was incoherent
at the time.
2. San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved
funding to provide additional staffing through fiscal year
2015-16.
Futscher began carrying the victim up the mountain face,
where he was joined by Sherwin. In what Futscher described
as “The most physically challenging rescue of [his] career,” the
two successfully extracted the victim to Air Rescue 06 just as
the winds blew the clouds off the ridgeline and revealed a safe
flight path back to the valley.
4.
All of the clothing on the female was saturated and frozen
solid. Her boots were actually frozen to her feet, and signs
of deep frostbite were present globally. Frozen clothing was
replaced with warm, dry blankets while advanced life support
measures were initiated. Captain DeJong had already begun
passive warming measures for the male patient, who was
able to remain seated, talkative, and oriented throughout the
flight. Both patients were transferred to Loma Linda University
Medical Center for definitive treatment of their injuries.
3. AR306 transported a Chino Police Department motor
officer after a traffic collision.
AR306 (Crew Chief Corporal Mike Gilley and Pilot Sergeant
Dan Futscher with Fire Captain Jack DeJong and Flight Medic
Eric Sherwin) rescued two hikers with significant hypothermia
after they spent a night in sub-zero temps at the Mount San
Gorgonio peak.
Of course, the call that stands out is the response to the San Bernardino
terror incident on December 2. AR306 (Crew Chief Sergeant Al Daniel and
Pilot Corporal Mike Ells with Sherwin and DeJong) responded to the incident
as it was just unfolding and were faced with a rapidly developing, highly
volatile scene. The crew provided multiple actions of incident support such
as aerial supervision for law enforcement, victim treatment in the warm zone
and transport of two critically injured patients.
Looking back on the incident, all of the law enforcement and fire/EMS
resources on that scene did an outstanding job! We are also mindful of the
injured victims and the families of those that lost their lives and hopeful for
their physical and emotional recovery.
Often, the Air Rescue crew has the opportunity to assist
someone in distress or minimize the extent of a medical or
traumatic emergency. This rescue was one of those moments
where it can be said that this team-based approach truly
saved the lives of two individuals.
Winter 2016 • FIREWIRE
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