What Does Your Base Average?

[VentMonkey]

Obviously, for us the summer months always pick up. We did 50 flights last month alone. For those that don't quite understand, a "busy" base can run about 5-6 flights in a 24-hour period.

Yes, that's busy. No, it isn't 36-calls-on-a-mercilessly-endless-24-on-the-ground busy. It's a long, dragged out, mentally and physically exhausting 24 hours nonetheless.

Understand this is by no means a b-tchfest thread. I'm merely curious as to what others on here average in a busy month, or even year. Or even what their busiest base at their respective service(s) average/s.

So, what are you guys clocking on a busy month/ year?

Hopefully this will also debunk some of the "flight teams sit around on their keysters all day" myths as well.

 

[VFlutter]

Probably average in the 40s for most months in a highly saturated market. More in the summer. Not uncommon to have a 4 flight shift. I would say most other bases in the area average about half of what we do.

 

[CANMAN]

At my previous employer one of our bases deemed a "team ship" meaning it was a shared aircraft for both an adult and peds team would routinely average 75 to 80 flights a month.

Currently employer we are sitting around 60 a month for one of our 24 hours bases, and about 30-40 for the other 24 hours base. At the lower volume base the volume is so sporadic. We have had 36 hours there without any flights, then the dayshift team will do 3-4 in 12 hours. I like the tempo here since I am a night guy. Most of the time we are able to get at least 4-6 hours sleep each night. Not flying anymore to set records, I am past that and will gladly make the same amount of money to sleep all night vs. flying all night.

We have one 12 hours base which does about 40 flights a month just being daytime only. Hospital employees, community based for all aircraft.

 

[VentMonkey]

Not flying anymore to set records, I am past that and will gladly make the same amount of money to sleep all night vs. flying all night.

Ya know, I don't have nearly the experience you do, but that said I'm already right there with you. I'm not trying to compete with anyone for the most calls, etc. It's foolish, and childish.

If anything, I'll work my rotation, get what I get and typically work an overtime ground shift or two, and run my butt off. I'm just here to do a job.

Even a "busy" flight shift typically doesn't hold a candle to a metro 8 or 12, and I can't help but grin when my co-workers gripe.

 

[TXmed]

Just started at a new flight program (my 2nd). at my old service averaged 30-40 a month with transport times ranging from 20min-1hr.

At my new service each base averages 60-70 flights a month with transports averaging 10min-30min (longer for IFR). We do 12hr shifts instead of 24's.

 

[CANMAN]

Just started at a new flight program (my 2nd). at my old service averaged 30-40 a month with transport times ranging from 20min-1hr.

At my new service each base averages 60-70 flights a month with transports averaging 10min-30min (longer for IFR). We do 12hr shifts instead of 24's.

I always enjoy longer patient loaded flights vs. the 10 minute hop flights. It's nice to be able to work your way through an entire protocol and see improvements vs. barely having enough time to make a titration or two before you're on final... Working in the D.C. Metro area now, there are times we will fly time sensitive stuff for out of hospital time and it will be a 6 or 7 nautical mile flight smh....

 

[TXmed]

I always enjoy longer patient loaded flights vs. the 10 minute hop flights. It's nice to be able to work your way through an entire protocol and see improvements vs. barely having enough time to make a titration or two before you're on final... Working in the D.C. Metro area now, there are times we will fly time sensitive stuff for out of hospital time and it will be a 6 or 7 nautical mile flight smh....

I agree with you, i especially enjoy seeing changes in ventilator and sedation and tinkering to better help the patient.

But at my last service we also flew alot of patients that werent "dieing" but were just 3-4 hours away from an actuall hospital. Where as at my new service the acuity is much higher and i use my skills much more often. Way more trauma than medical.

 

[VentMonkey]

As a subtopic to this thread, and to keep it going:

For scenes- does your service do stand-bys, auto launches only, launch requests only, or a mixture of any/ all of the above?

 

[VFlutter]

As a subtopic to this thread, and to keep it going:

For scenes- does your service do stand-bys, auto launches only, launch requests only, or a mixture of any/ all of the above?

We launch on scene standbys outside of a few miles from base. If it's close by we will ground stand by at the aircraft. We are trying to work out with some EMS/Fire agencies to auto launch on certain calls based on MOI. We encourage our customers to put us on air standby and we have no issues getting cancelled.

Only slight issues we have is some people will put us on air stand by then cancels us and not tell us they are taking the patient to the closest hospital which is not capable of keeping the patient. So we end up launching, fly to the scene, fly back to base and land just to get a call from the hospital to take the patient out. Can be frustrating.

 

[TXmed]

At my old service there was an agency that would put us on stand-by then just forget to cancel us

 

[VentMonkey]

We do a hodgepodge of all of the above mentioned. We were up all night backfilling stand bys for the other base in our county while they handled an IFT this last shift.

We are trying to work out with some EMS/Fire agencies to auto launch on certain calls based on MOI.

That's interesting @Chase, but be careful what you wish for though. Some of our EMD codes, and fire's discretion can be questionable at best. Especially at 3 a.m. after being up all shift.

At my old service there was an agency that would put us on stand-by then just forget to cancel us

Word. This can be painstakingly frustrating especially, again, at 3 a.m. when they're "caught up in th rescue".

Either way, thanks for the replies, fellas.

 

[CANMAN]

As a subtopic to this thread, and to keep it going:

For scenes- does your service do stand-bys, auto launches only, launch requests only, or a mixture of any/ all of the above?

Current service: launch for confirmed scene calls only

Previous: Would either be a "stand-by" wait in the aircraft to turn, or a "page" and we would lift and respond. There were a few counties that had auto launch criteria and it would result in just a page. Worked well, and patient's were normally 95% jacked up when we would get there, sometimes as the first ALS providers. So the triage system in place worked well for those. For our other "stand by" flights alot of the time it was just was TXmed said, they would forget to cancel us. We would monitor scanner app and alot of times be back in and back in bed when they would finally remember to call and cancel. That got really annoying after a busy dayshift and you were trying to sleep at night.

 

[NomadicMedic]

as a non flight medic, do you guys find 'auto launches' to be annoying or a waste of time? 9 out of 10 times, I cancel the helicopter as soon as I get on scene.

 

[VentMonkey]

as a non flight medic, do you guys find 'auto launches' to be annoying or a waste of time? 9 out of 10 times, I cancel the helicopter as soon as I get on scene.

Something to this effect...

We would monitor scanner app and alot of times be back in and back in bed when they would finally remember to call and cancel. That got really annoying after a busy dayshift and you were trying to sleep at night.

The EMD system hasn't changed much over the years, but the legitimacy seems to have, so yes, they can be a bit of overkill when it's pinged in as an "auto launch area" coupled with a high MOI in say, a Jetta, versus the 1970's death traps of yesteryear.

It is what it is for the most part though, and like any other job, if it was perfect or all fun and games it couldn't be considered work to me. I do find the 2 a.m. over triaged launches after an up all day shift to be well, a bit much. And yes, 9 out 10 times, it ends up being unnecessary.

Also, the county to the north of us only does launch requests, so when both of their airships are out we'll get requested and usually cancelled before making it anywhere near their county's airspace.

As far as ground paramedics putting us off or on stand-bys, I hardly mind. I trust the majority of the paramedics in our geographical areas, and their judgment.

 

[CANMAN]

as a non flight medic, do you guys find 'auto launches' to be annoying or a waste of time? 9 out of 10 times, I cancel the helicopter as soon as I get on scene.

All depends on the triage system and MOU with the county. We wouldn't auto launch for stuff like a rollover, MVC with entrapment reported conscious, motorcycle accident, etc.

The stuff we were auto launched on was like MVC with entrapment and one reported unconscious, MVC with ejection and fire, man vs. train/semi/ped struck and reported unconscious. So those were all legit and 95% of the time we were dropping plastic

 

[DrParasite]

Are you referring to IFTs, or scene jobs? Do cancels count?

 

[CANMAN]

Are you referring to IFTs, or scene jobs? Do cancels count?

At my service cancelled or aborted flights don't count in the number's. Rarely ever, unless the patient expires prior to arrival, will an IFT flight get cancelled. The auto launches and cancelled flights is mainly referring to scene work.

 

[DrParasite]

Hopefully this will also debunk some of the "flight teams sit around on their keysters all day" myths as well.

Dude, that's my dream job.... get paid mucho dinero, only go on jobs for sick patients, and when the weather is bad, watch a lot of TV and movies and make sure the couch doesn't fly up and hit the ceiling.

At my service cancelled or aborted flights don't count in the number's. Rarely ever, unless the patient expires prior to arrival, will an IFT flight get cancelled. The auto launches and cancelled flights is mainly referring to scene work.

That was what I was referring to..... if you are just doing IFTs, 6 runs isn't all that bad in a 24; I'd argue that it's pretty easy. Now change that to 4 IFTs, and 2 scene jobs, coupled with another 8 scene jobs where you get cancelled enroute (but they don't count in the numbers, but you were still in the air), and you are having a rough day.

My CCT experience is relatively limited, but when I was on the truck, the CCT crew did most of their work at the sending hospital, and the patient was monitored during transport. Any interventions were done prior to leaving the facility, or while on the ground, if possible. Doesn't the same thing happen with air medical transports?

It's been a while since I was in HEMS communications, but we had some of our medevacs averaging about 6 dispatches for scene jobes in 12 hours. Maybe 3 of them were actually transports, and they did IFTs too.

 

[CANMAN]

Dude, that's my dream job.... get paid mucho dinero, only go on jobs for sick patients, and when the weather is bad, watch a lot of TV and movies and make sure the couch doesn't fly up and hit the ceiling.
That was what I was referring to..... if you are just doing IFTs, 6 runs isn't all that bad in a 24; I'd argue that it's pretty easy. Now change that to 4 IFTs, and 2 scene jobs, coupled with another 8 scene jobs where you get cancelled enroute (but they don't count in the numbers, but you were still in the air), and you are having a rough day.

My CCT experience is relatively limited, but when I was on the truck, the CCT crew did most of their work at the sending hospital, and the patient was monitored during transport. Any interventions were done prior to leaving the facility, or while on the ground, if possible. Doesn't the same thing happen with air medical transports?

It's been a while since I was in HEMS communications, but we had some of our medevacs averaging about 6 dispatches for scene jobes in 12 hours. Maybe 3 of them were actually transports, and they did IFTs too.

Guess it just depends on your area and transport times, but 6 flights total in 24 hours, regardless of scene vs. IFT is about my MAX. Our turn around times aren't as fast as ground units normally due to extended charting times and such, but none the less 6 flights in a 24 hour period is hustling no matter how you slice it. Our referral pattern is pretty large and we have a great safety time out program. I used to tell my orientee's, when you're feeling tired and questioning if you need to ring the bell on a time out the answer if normally yes. Ask yourself "could I do a flight from Baltimore to Pittsburgh" and if the answer is no then you need to timeout, because you don't know whats coming down the pike. I have been in the aircraft for 7 total hours on one patient transport before. Not only time, but flying during the summer heat is pretty miserable, and MOST provider's will start dragging a bit after 3 summer flights regardless of hydration, physical conditioning etc.

 

[VFlutter]

Agree with all of the above. Impossible to simplify to just flight numbers when so many factors go into it. My last shift we had 3 back to back flights. Two level one traumas, one whom coded in flight, and then an IABP flight. Getting back to base after being out for hours in 100 degree humid heat, doing CPR, not eating, etc is insane. Not even considering the hours of charting ahead.