The Town of Greenwich Emergency Management Dept conducted a helicopter landing drill Monday morning in the Havemeyer baseball field. Greenwich Fire Department, Greenwich Emergency Medical Service, and Greenwich Police Dept were all on scene taking part in the drill.
The drill was performed to review and practice emergency plans in the event a medical helicopter is needed to transfer a patient in critical care rapidly to another area hospital.
Don MacMillan program manager for Yale New Haven Health Sky Health II said that Greenwich Emergency Management had reached out to request the drill to re-enact evacuating a critically injured patient.
The morning was perfect for the drill given the clear skies.
“The weather is one of our major reasons why we don’t fly. We have strict limitations on how far you have to be able to see visually and how the ceiling is – the first cloud base – and right now the visibility and ceiling is unlimited,” MacMillan said.
He said the helicopter made it to Greenwich from Sikorsky Airport in Stratford in 12 minutes at 135 miles per hour.
MacMillan said the top speed of the helicopter is 160 miles per an hour, but they typically travel 130 miles per hour.
There is no helicopter pad at Greenwich Hospital. MacMillan said instead they land at Westchester Airport and Westchester EMS picks them up there.
MacMillan explained that dangers for a helicopter include anything that can his the helicopter in the air: birds, drones or wires.
The helicopter features is a system to cut a wire before it can damage the rotor.
“We have night vision capabilities, so at night time we fly with night vision goggles, which increases safety,” MacMillan said. “This aircraft is equipped with the latest and greatest safety features.”
