December 7, 2011

SandBox Comments: Summit Daily News "Speed the search: Flight for Life offers new avalanche search tool"

What an incredible step up in technology for our first responders.

"Summit County's Flight for Life Colorado helicopter could be the second air medical device in the U.S. to be outfitted with an external beacon receiver — a powerful device that hangs below the helicopter to assist in locating avalanche victims.

The University of Utah recently broke the ice in the air medical world with testing and training with the device, which has been common in Europe, Canada and New Zealand for years, Flight for Life paramedic Kevin Kelble said. Kelble is also in charge of coordinating the statewide Avalanche Deployment and Lift Ticket programs, which bring Flight for Life's services together with ski patrol and search and rescue needs.

With Utah's Air Methods program paving the way, Kelble wants to get the device on board in Colorado to speed up the search process — and keep it safer...."
(Janice Kurbjun)

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