Covid transports - PPE

VFlutter

Flight Nurse
3,728
1,264
113
Small program? That’s a huge cost. We are having to replace all our IV pumps ASAP (About 750k) as well so the 300 dollar half face piece respirator with comm’s is out, but we will have standard half face piece respirators. Our choice to wear that or an N95.

Nope, for all of Air Methods...

Still might be cost effective long term vs disposable PPE
 

CANMAN

Forum Asst. Chief
805
425
63
Nope, for all of Air Methods...

Still might be cost effective long term vs disposable PPE

Interesting what for profit places will chose to spend their money on. Good news for you guys in the PPE aspect then. Our program has already sourced ours and isn’t gonna turn back now. Personally I think in a year from now they will be in a bag collecting dust, waiting for the next pandemic to hit.... so I don’t think it’s the worst decision to be conservative in regards to spending money on them. Just my opinion.
 

CANMAN

Forum Asst. Chief
805
425
63
Why are you replacing your pumps?
Affected by the Nationwide Bodyguard recall. Even after a biomed update of software they have stated “not supported for use of life sustaining medications” so we are sourcing new pumps as we speak.
 

GMCmedic

Forum Deputy Chief
1,640
1,056
113
Affected by the Nationwide Bodyguard recall. Even after a biomed update of software they have stated “not supported for use of life sustaining medications” so we are sourcing new pumps as we speak.
Same boat. Were still getting respirators, just not with built in comms. I suspect this time next year they will be collecting dust.
 

VFlutter

Flight Nurse
3,728
1,264
113
Interesting what for profit places will chose to spend their money on. Good news for you guys in the PPE aspect then. Our program has already sourced ours and isn’t gonna turn back now. Personally I think in a year from now they will be in a bag collecting dust, waiting for the next pandemic to hit.... so I don’t think it’s the worst decision to be conservative in regards to spending money on them. Just my opinion.

It may not actually happen but that is at least the discussion. I think it was due to push back from the pilot union more than anything to find some solution.
 
OP
OP
T

Trackhead

Forum Ride Along
9
1
3
Rumor has it Air Methods may be negotiating a large purchase of respirators like mine but likely only for the pilots.

Can you please elaborate where you heard this? I have a LOT of rotor friends in my company with Air Methods vendor who would like to know more.
 

CANMAN

Forum Asst. Chief
805
425
63
Not to start a thread highjack, or even a poo slinging issue at all, but from a crew member level IF I was working for an Air Methods program and they were willing to shell out for a high speed short lived item like these are likely going to be, it would bother me. Reason being is they have drug their feet in at times on crash resistant fuel systems for their single engine ships, which affect everyday safe operations, yet this is the big ticket item we want to drop potentially hundreds of thousands on.....

While I realize VFlutter you’re flying in a twin without those issues, but given the number of crashes Air Methods has had (regardless the size of the vendor) throughout the years, I would be frustrated at their eagerness to spend money on this vs. other items personally.
 

DesertMedic66

Forum Troll
11,268
3,450
113
It may not actually happen but that is at least the discussion. I think it was due to push back from the pilot union more than anything to find some solution.
The company is going to go bankrupt if they buy all those plus the serious money they just dropped to buy 200,000 3M N95s.
 

VFlutter

Flight Nurse
3,728
1,264
113
It was announced on our monthly regional meeting that we would likely be getting the first batches in August. Maybe it is only a trial for our region but the sound was they were looking at it company wide. I am sure they would have no trouble offloading the N95s to hospitals and other companies. They were likely paying insane prices for subpar Chinese mask before.

It would be a huge cost if it does indeed happen however it would likely be the equivalent of the cost of a flightsuit per crew member. I think they could roll it out in a way that wouldn't be horrible.

Probably shouldn't have mentioned it until actually happens but at least it sounds like they were looking for better options
 
OP
OP
T

Trackhead

Forum Ride Along
9
1
3
The company is going to go bankrupt if they buy all those plus the serious money they just dropped to buy 200,000 3M N95s.

Oh well, just about every medevac company is probably struggling I know ours is....covid=broke.
It would be a huge cost if it does indeed happen however it would likely be the equivalent of the cost of a flightsuit per crew member. I think they could roll it out in a way that wouldn't be horrible.

Probably shouldn't have mentioned it until actually happens but at least it sounds like they were
It was announced on our monthly regional meeting that we would likely be getting the first batches in August. Maybe it is only a trial for our region but the sound was they were looking at it company wide. I am sure they would have no trouble offloading the N95s to hospitals and other companies. They were likely paying insane prices for subpar Chinese mask before.

It would be a huge cost if it does indeed happen however it would likely be the equivalent of the cost of a flightsuit per crew member. I think they could roll it out in a way that wouldn't be horrible.

Probably shouldn't have mentioned it until actually happens but at least it sounds like they were looking for better options
Funny about comparison to flight suits. My company is doing furloughs and potentially layoffs, yet we have the $$ for new flight suits for over 100 nurses and who knows how many pilots.
 

VFlutter

Flight Nurse
3,728
1,264
113
Update, it sounds like it would be a shared base item like NVGs, not per clinician.
 

GMCmedic

Forum Deputy Chief
1,640
1,056
113
Shared masks were the idea I had for our program. Were a cooperative program so we have a little more money than independent bases. However, as mentioned above, were now stuck looking for IV pumps, and we were already in process of buying new monitors, then Covid happened.
 

CANMAN

Forum Asst. Chief
805
425
63
Update, it sounds like it would be a shared base item like NVGs, not per clinician.

Makes much more sense 👍. On a side note, we have been using an AirPal for our prone COVID patients and it's been working out sweet!
 
Top