Carlton Football Club players visited Ambulance Victoria (AV) Air Ambulance to learn about the work of AV’s air ambulance crews.
The air ambulance crew showed the players around one of AV’s specialised HEMS helicopters as well as spoke about what it’s like providing emergency care in the air.
Carlton Football Club players visiting AV Air Ambulance
MICA Flight Paramedic Educator Darren Hodge said they were similarities between the work of the highly trained flight crew and the Carlton Football Club players – that teamwork is essential.
“It’s really important that when we’re on the air ambulance, much like when the football players are on the field, we need to be communicating and working as a team,” Darren said.
“In our case, we work as a team to provide the best care for a patient in their time of need.”
The football players participated in a simulated exercise, where they had to work together to treat a patient.
Carlton Football Club players exploring a HEMS helicopter
After a quick training session led by AV paramedics, the players tested out their newly learned skills in a simulated scenario where a patient required emergency treatment.
Darren said the exercise was an excellent demonstration of the importance of working together to achieve a positive outcome.
“It doesn’t matter if you are looking after a patient or playing a game of football, high-achieving teams are built on the backs of strong relationships,” he said.
About Air Ambulance
Ambulance Victoria’s fleet of five helicopters and four aeroplanes provide a vital link between rural communities and metropolitan health services.
The main users are patients outside the metropolitan area, which ensures rural communities have rapid access to our highest level of care and transport to specialist care in the Melbourne metropolitan region, particularly for severe trauma patients as part of the state trauma system.
Ambulance Victoria operates five emergency response helicopters based at Essendon, the Latrobe Valley, Bendigo and Warrnambool.
All five helicopters carry blood products, which can be administered to patients by a MICA Flight Paramedic, along with a range of other emergency medical capabilities.
Most helicopter callouts are for life-threatening emergencies, which are mainly trauma and paediatric cases, with the balance being mainly inter-hospital transfers/critical retrievals (with a small amount of Search and Rescue (SAR) and transport of patients in remote areas).
