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Flight paramedic: Cold weather benefits air ambulances

FlightCare paramedic Richard Bird said the heavier cold air enhances lift capability for the helicopter

By EMS1 Staff

SAGINAW, Mich. — A flight paramedic explained why the cold air does not affect air ambulances in the same way it might inhibit other emergency vehicles.

WNEM reported that air ambulance operations are not impacted by cold weather, in fact, they fly better, according to FlightCare paramedic Richard Bird.

“Cold weather doesn’t really change our operations at all. It changes some of our patient care strategies, but it doesn’t change the way we do our job at all,” Bird said.

Bird added that the heavier cold air enhances the helicopter’s lift capability, but he still makes sure the patient is warm enough.

“We bundle them up really good. We have a sleeping bag we put them in. On top of that we have a thermal wrap. It’s a Mylar wrap that keeps the body heat in. We have warm IV fluids that we can administer them and then we have a fluid warmer that we can actually create warm IV fluids with,” Bird said.

The only time a helicopter cannot fly in cold weather is if the temperature drops to -40 degrees, according to Bird.

“That’s the point at which jet and diesel fuel gel. So -40 degrees we won’t fly in anything close to that. But that’s actual temp, that’s not the wind chill,” Bird said.

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