Rotor & Wing Magazine Names Winners

The Rotor & Wing Helicopter Heroism Award, a tradition for nearly four decades, this year honors decidedly untraditional exploits. The winners' efforts are a combination of three separate swiftwater rescues that unfolded during one harrowing night.

This year's line-up of heroes are the crew of Austin (TX)-based STAR Flight: Kevin McDonald, 45, pilot; Jim Allday, 48, clinical manager/flight nurse; Chris Jones-Piercy, 41, flight nurse; and James Esquivel, 36, flight nurse.

On November 15, 2001, during one night of severe flooding, the STAR Flight crew shuttled from one scene to the next, saving not only civilians but, in two cases, endangered rescuers as well. It was a multi-mission, multi-location feat that made good use of the crew's cross training and flexibility. As such, the rescue embodies the eclectic nature of the R&W EMERGENCY RESPONSE 2002 conference.

At this year's conference in Jacksonville (FL), the STAR Flight crew will receive their awards at a banquet in their honor. "The courage of this helicopter crew is almost beyond belief," said Rotor & Wing magazine's editor-in-chief, John Persinos. "In the face of terrible adversity, they showed amazing tenacity, stamina and grit. I look forward to honoring each one of them in person at our conference in Jacksonville."

Founded in 1985, STAR Flight (Shock Trauma Air Rescue) is an EMS helicopter unit operated under a public partnership of Travis County and the City of Austin. As part of the Austin-Travis County emergency medical services (EMS) system, STAR Flight serves a 19 county area within central Texas. STAR Flight's two American Eurocopter EC-135s perform a host of missions, including EMS, search and rescue and law enforcement.

On November 15, a low-pressure system spawned flash flooding and a long line of severe thunderstorms, stretching along the Interstate 35 corridor from San Antonio through Austin in Travis County and further north. A batch of tornadoes slammed the Austin area and more than 14 inches of rain fell within a few hours. At times, rain fell at the rate of two inches an hour.

Rivers and creeks swelled over their banks and more than 37,000 homes in Austin lost electrical power. Sustained flooding overloaded storm water drainage facilities and made streets impassable. It was the area's worst flooding on record.

When the flooding was over, ten people were dead, hundreds of homes were destroyed and much of the public infrastructure lay in ruins. Considering the severity of the storm, the death toll was much lower than it could have been, thanks to the brave crew of STAR Flight and other emergency responders on the ground. This year's award winners will be honored at Rotor & Wing's annual Conference & Exhibition, EMERGENCY RESPONSE 2002, December 11-13, 2002 in Jacksonville.

FMI: www.emergencyresponse2002.com