Mexico Launches 1st Helicopter EMS Crew

The first-ever helicopter EMS crew in Mexico is training to fly solo at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

At the same time, their counterparts with UT Lifestar are preparing to add another helicopter to the hospital's growing fleet.

Eight crewmembers from Mexico joined 20 from UT Lifestar on Monday to begin training on the same model helicopter under a team from Med-Trans Corp. of Dallas.

"These gentlemen from Mexico are going to be flying the Bell 407," said Andrew Slemp, regional operations manager of UT Lifestar.

The single-engine, one-patient aircraft carries a pilot and two attendants.

UT Lifestar's Bell 407 will be stationed at a new base north along the Interstate 75 corridor, giving UT Medical Center a better geographic coverage, Slemp said.

He said it could be operational within 30 days.

The United States has more than 750 emergency helicopter services, while Mexican emergency personnel have yet to make their first run.

Three pilots, two paramedics, a doctor, an administrator and the CEO from newly formed Skylife are in Knoxville this week.

Skylife CEO Ricardo Lebrija said one of the primary functions of the Mexican service, which will be based in Ciudad del Carmen, is to help those working on off-shore oil drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico get to hospitals quickly.

"We're going to give service mostly to American companies," Lebrija said.

Skylife is affiliated with Heliservicio, which has 30 helicopters and is providing the crew with a new Bell 407 configured in the United States for medical use.

Because the service is new, Lebrija says he can't be sure how often the crew will be called on.

"It's kind of up in the air," Lebrija said. "We'll probably be doing three services a day; that's what we think."

Lebrija said getting people to realize air EMS is available will be a test.

"The biggest challenge is just getting to change the culture in Mexico," Lebrija said. "It's not like we're inventing something. These things are in use all over the world." Lebrija said expansion is only a matter of time after operations begin in September. "I think by the end of the year people will start noticing," he said. "We're really excited about this." But the excitement comes with challenges, too. Juan Gomez, a pilot with 27 years of experience, said the most challenging part of his job will be night flight. "You have to land in the road or in the country, in the mountains," Gomez said, adding that they will use night vision goggles. "When you use it, you're never going to be flying without it." The physicians and other attendants in the helicopter will face new tests as well.

Jaime Rivero, an emergency medicine attendant of 11 years, said, "It is a lot different. You have less space, less equipment and less time."

Rivero added that in the helicopter he would not have the luxury of being able to run diagnostic tests but would have to rely on instincts to treat emergencies. Despite the challenges, he said he is pleased to be on the first Mexican crew.

"It's a great opportunity," Rivero said. "I'm proud."

The team's training lasts until Monday, and they hope to come back in the future.

"We're hoping to get more training," Gomez said. "We hope to come here once a year."