In the high-consequence environment of air medicine, things can change in an instant. Carefully designed systems and routine activities are subject to failure. It can happen to any of us at any time.
It’s with that understanding that the LifeFlight Eagle Safety Symposium calls together leaders, safety officers, medical crew members, communications specialists, pilots, and maintenance personnel to convene and discuss how each of us can continually improve safety within our own organizations and within the air medical industry as a whole.
This year’s 5th Annual LifeFlight Eagle Safety Symposium features an exceptional group of speakers who will present on a variety of thought-provoking and actionable topics:
The Haves and Will Haves
Jon Tierney, internationally licensed mountain guide and owner of Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School and Alpenglow Adventure Sports, is also a flight paramedic and safety chair for LifeFlight of Maine. He will discuss how quickly things can go badly, as well as reflect on lessons learned.
Enroute Decision Points
In every phase of flight, the pilot, medical crew and communications specialists pass through a number of critical decision points. Kurt Williams, President of the National EMS Pilots Association will discuss empowering safe choices at each of these points.
Distractions in the Cockpit
EMS pilots are saturated with tasks, information, communication and activity. Steve Sparks, chair of the United States Helicopter Safety Team’s Human Factors Committee and Aviation Safety Inspector with the FAA will discuss how we can improve safety by mitigating cockpit distractions.
Patient Safety: Behaviors and Systems
Lee Varner, EMS Project Director for the Center for Patient Safety, will discuss enhancing patient safety through the creation of systems and behaviors that reduce risk to patients as well as reduce liability to crew members and programs.
Leadership and Engagement-How to Do It
Safe ideas, systems and behaviors are only as good as the people who execute them. Dr. Wes Scott, Consulting Services Director for the National Safety Council will discuss how we can lead and engage our people when it comes to safety.
Integration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles into the National Airspace
Drones are here and here to stay. They present a clear danger to manned aircraft, and especially to EMS helicopters. As the list of UAV-related close calls continues to grow, many feel it is only time before we see the first catastrophic incident. Casey Adams is a UAV subject matter expert and owner of The Kansas City Drone Company. He’ll discuss how we can safely integrate Unmanned Aerial Vehicles into the national airspace, and what we can do to enhance safety through outreach, policy and technology.
The Symposium will take place Sept. 17-18 in Kansas City, Mo. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, registration is provided free of charge.
Civil, EMS, Lifeflight Eagle, News, Safety, US-Missouri