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.

FMI: www.eurocopter.com