FAQ

Learn the answers to common questions about Med Evac.

Question: What type of transport vehicles does Med Evac have?

Answer: We operate three Airbus H125 helicopters installed with state-of-the-art safety equipment for EMS, enhanced ground proximity system and a traffic advisory system. If weather precludes us from transporting a patient by helicopter from North Colorado Medical Center to another facility, we have used Banner Health Ambulances for ground transports.

Question: Can Med Evac fly in any weather?

Answer: No. Med Evac flies under visual flight regulations as set by Med-Trans, our helicopter vendor. We can fly in the rain and snow so long as we have good visibility, but not in fog. At night we fly aided by night vision goggles for increased visibility and increased safety of our crew. If any member of the crew is not comfortable with the flight, the call will be aborted and arrangements made for patient to be transported by other means.

Question: Who calls Med Evac for a transport?

Answer: Interfacility transfers are usually placed by the sending physician or nurse. For interfacility transports, we need to have an appropriate receiving hospital and accepting physician. Scene responses are generally requested by EMS, Law, or Fire agencies, although the public can request our services as well by calling 911.

Question: What is a "stand-by"?

Answer: Med Evac responds to two types of of stand-bys, "ground stand-by" or "air-born stand-by." A ground stand-by gives the flight crew advanced warning of a potential flight. A ground stand-by benefits the crew by allowing them to check weather and fuel status on the helicopter as well as gather and wait at the helicopter, responding to a call quicker. If the helicopter is not needed, then the stand-by is cancelled. For an air-born stand-by, the crew will lift off and respond toward the scene of a call until they are informed if they should respond into the landing zone or if they should cancel. This allows for quicker response times for critically ill and injured patients in need of immediate transport.

Question: Do all patients flown by Med Evac return to North Colorado Medical Center?

Answer: No. We will transport a patient to the nearest appropriate facility for scene responses while interfacility transports are dictated by the sending physician. Depending on the circumstances, we will fly children directly to a pediatric specialty center in Denver.

Question: What types of patients does Med Evac transport?

Answer: Med Evac transports critically ill and injured children and adults with any medical, surgical, or trauma related condition. Unless the call is from a scene, we generally do not transport neonates (age less than 30 days old). We also provide specialized HROB (high risk obstetrics) transports. These are accomplished with a specialized HROB, RN, and a Flight RN.

Question: Does Med Evac do more scene or interfacility flights?

Answer: We do about 50% scene and 50% interfacility transports.

Question:. How many patients can you transport?

Answer: The Airbus H125 is capable of transporting one patient.

Question: How far does Med Evac fly?

Answer: We fly within a 300 mile radius from Greeley.

Question: Who staffs the Med Evac helicopters?

Answer: The flight team is composed of a pilot, registered nurse, and a paramedic.

For any further questions, please contact one of the lead team members.