Vision Zero Safety Award Presented For Proactive Training,
Safety Initiatives
Travis County’s STAR Flight program has been selected to
receive the fourth annual Vision Zero Aviation Safety Award from
American Eurocopter. STAR Flight was chosen for its investment and
proactive accomplishments in training and safety initiatives
throughout the organization. As part of the award, American
Eurocopter presented the program with a check for $10,000 to
continue its efforts.
STAR Flight Aircraft File Photo
Marc Paganini, President and CEO of American Eurocopter,
presented the award and the check to the STAR Flight members,
during the AMTC Community Awards Banquet. "STAR Flight has taken
the initiative to incorporate safety as a base part of the culture
of its program. The focus on safety and training throughout the
organization is impressive and has set a new standard in the
industry,” explained Paganini.
STAR Flight (Shock Trauma Air Rescue) began operation in 1985 to
provide Advanced Life Support response and transport to the
citizens in the outlying areas of Travis County. Soon after the
program's inception the operation expanded into the more regional
basis it is today . In 1993 STAR Flight enhanced its operations to
include helicopter rescue, land/water rescue, wilderness/SAR
(search and rescue), and fire suppression. Scene flights and
hospital-to-hospital transfers comprise over ninety percent of STAR
Flight responses.
The program states that its one major goal is safety. Program
leaders say they have endeavored to be in the forefront
of innovation ... including safety, operational, aircraft
systems, maintenance and personal equipment perspectives.
At the very center of this effort, the program leadership
elected to equip its fleet with the most advanced helicopters
featuring full Single Pilot IFR capability including dual three
axis autopilots and dual Garmin 430/530 Garmin GPS units. This
combination of advanced helicopter and technology helps enable
pilots to spend the maximum time and attention to safely fly the
aircraft after entering inadvertent instrument conditions. STAR
Flight feels that this should be one of the main emphases in
raising the bar for safe day and night all-weather operations.
The American Eurocopter Vision Zero Aviation Safety Award was
started in 2007 to promote aviation safety within the air medical
community. A Blue Ribbon Committee, chaired by industry consultant
Bill Bryant, reviewed the nominations and selected the winner.
“ STAR Flight ’s attention to safety and its focus on
training was very impressive,” said Bryant. “This was
not just in one area of the program, but across the entire
organization. As a public safety organization, STAR Flight was not
obligated to become certified by the FAA as a part 135 Air Carrier,
become CAMTS accredited, or to adopt all of the safety
recommendations made by the NTSB, yet they did all of these in the
interest of safety. STAR Flight sets a tremendous example for other
programs and organizations to emulate, both public and
private.”
Some of STAR Flight’s initiatives include:
- Equipping its aircraft with Helicopter Terrain Avoidance and
Warning Systems (HTAWS); color weather RADAR, storm scope and
moving maps which show all man-made obstacles; and Terminal
Information Systems (TIS) to reduce the potential of mid-air
collisions in high density terminal areas.
- Treating medical crew members as part of the flight crew to
include: drug and alcohol testing, 12 hour duty schedule, and 10
hour rest period requirement prior to duty assignment.
- Mandating quarterly IMC recovery training for all
pilots/crewsHeliport Safety Sign Campaign
- Assignment of all crew members to specific flight teams to
promote team cohesiveness.
- Providing all crew members with NVGs for every night operation
and requiring currency for all crew members, regardless of
position.
- Providing water survival training for all crew members to
include egress, HEEDS, and use of personal flotation. All crew
members wear flight vests (at all times) with incorporated
inflatable collars in case of water ditching.
- Requiring all crew members to complete Dr. Mark
Rosekind’s “Z-Coach” web-based program for sleep
deprivation and fatigue management. Dr. Rosekind is recognized as
one of the world’s leading expert in this field and while
this training is not an industry or FAA requirement, it has been
recommended by the NTSB for several years.
- Conducting on-going AMRM/CRM training with all crew members to
include the following missions: EMS (scene and interfacility), 24
hour all-weather Search and Rescue (SAR) (land/water), Firefighting
and Law Enforcement. This training extends to the entire team to
include Hospital Specialty Team members and Aviation Communication
Specialists.
- Utilizing an automated Risk Matrix program for both Part 135
and Public Operations missions which automatically links the
current risk analysis to the dispatch and stores it in the data
base for future reference or reconstruction.
- Implementing all of the NTSB recommendations for HEMS safety
and accident reduction to include: scenario-based training,
simulator training, video/voice/flight data recording, night vision
imaging systems, Single Pilot IFR equipped aircraft (EC-145) with
3-axis-dual-redundant autopilot systems, ongoing instrument
training for all pilots, implementation of a Safety Management
System (SMS) with a goal to achieve level 4 status by 2014.
While STAR Flight was chosen as the 2010 Vision Zero Award
winner, Carilion Clinic Life-Guard program and Wisconsin’s
Flight for Life program were honorably mentioned because of each
program’s commitment to safety and contributions to the
industry.