VALDOSTA — First responders from Lowndes County Fire Rescue, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Valdosta Fire Department and Valdosta Police Department participated in training on the landing zone and air medical operations as an additional component to their prehospital trauma life support course being provided at the Lowndes County Emergency Operations Center.

The instruction, provided by Air Evac Lifeteam 142 from Tifton, provided direction on landing zone dimensions, safe operations around a running aircraft and appropriate response to an aircraft emergency, county officials said in a statement. 

Students also participated in loading and unloading a patient in a running aircraft. 

“The training will help crews efficiently operate at the scene of an incident where rapid transport via medical helicopter is needed,” county officials said. “The PHTLS course, provided by South Georgia Medical Center, taught students how to identify and appropriately treat individuals with traumatic injuries.”

“This training will improve our departments readiness in the event of a need to rapidly transport ill or injured individuals directly from the scene to needed medical care at the hospital,” Lowndes County Fire Rescue Chief Lloyd Green. “During the PHTLS course was a prime opportunity to deliver the landing zone training.”

“Joint trainings such as this provide a method to reach multiple agencies while improving capability to assist citizens in their time of need,” said Molly Bond, flight nurse with Air Evac.

“The opportunity for local agencies to train together ensures efficient interoperability. This specific training presented by Air Evac Lifeteam 142 provides responders with the knowledge, skills and abilities to keep everyone safe when air transport is utilized in getting patients to the appropriate receiving facility,” Valdosta Fire Chief Brian Boutwell said.

Air Evac Lifeteam Base 142 is an air medical service with a unit based in Tifton. The company operates more than 140 air medical bases across 15 states providing air ambulance services to communities in need of advanced emergency medical care and rapid transport.