This past weekend presented an opportunity for Wilton’s first responders to sharpen some of their medi-vac skills. The Wilton Fire Department, CERT, Wilton Volunteer Ambulance Corps and Wilton Police Department took part in a training with the CT State Medi-Helicopter group, giving responders a great lesson and spectators some pretty impressive action.
The Yale New Haven Hospital “SkyHealth” medical helicopter landed at Allen’s Meadow on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 21 as part of the orientation and training exercise for the emergency personnel. According to a press release from deputy fire chief Mark Amatrudo, who heads Wilton’s Emergency Management Operations, the chopper will soon be available to transport critical patients to area hospitals from remote areas of town or when normal traffic routes to the hospitals are impassible.
Officials warned Wilton residents in advance on Friday and Saturday that the chopper would be flying over town and landing at the fields, knowing that recent heightened sensitivity to homeland security might cause alarm.
The drill included training on protocols for requesting medi-vac service, land-air communications, patient transfer, and landing zone preparation.
photos courtesy Brian McDermott and Drew Gumins; video courtesy Drew Gumins
