Ground and Air Rescue Advice (PDF), for your first aid kit

Air rescue – some suggestions from a real experience

Key contacts

Emergency Services (000)
Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Rescue Coordination Centre (1800 815 257)

Using a mobile phone

If you have mobile phone coverage, make sure you have pen and paper at hand, and write down the time of significant events and the name and contact number of everyone you speak to.

When you CALL 000, make sure it is on a fully charged mobile phone that has good reception.

Tell them how much battery charge your phone has, and give them a secondary contact number in case your mobile battery goes flat. Make sure though that they mark it as a secondary number.

The operator that you first talk to at 000 may have little experience in this type of incident and will be asking for information applicable to an urban location. They are likely to be located in a major city. Be patient when talking to them.

Information to give 000

If they don’t ask these questions then tell them:

What is your location?

The name of the nearest town, how far you are from it, in what direction, and the fire trails/tracks you came in on.

The name of the National Park or State Forest if applicable.

The name and number of the topographical map.

Your location in longitude/latitude, the units of measure and the datum. The preferred format by AMSA is longitude/latitude with decimal minutes and the datum is WGS84. On a GPS unit this would be displayed as: S37 31.462 E149 53.548. So take some time now to examine the difference on your GPS unit.

How serious is the injury?

Airway
Breathing
Circulation – their colour, are they bleeding
What the problem is
Level of alertness, pain
Age and name
Time of occurrence
Any known medical conditions or medications the doctors should be aware of.

What is the weather like?

What is the wind, cloud cover and visibility?

What is the terrain like?

  • Can a rescue be accomplished before nightfall?
  • Is a ground rescue feasible – if so how long would it take and what is the best route?
  • Is there sufficient clearing for a helicopter to land, or for a winch to be used?

Is the PLB activated?

  • What is the registration number on the PLB unit (Is it on it?!)
  • Is it positioned at the spot you want a chopper to pick up the patient from?
  • Is it in a clear spot, upright, and with the antenna extended so the signal can get out?
  • Have you notified the emergency contact identified on the PLB registration that they may get a call from Emergency Services?

Be aware there can be a delay of up to 2 hours between the PLB being activated and their receiving the signal, depending on whether a satellite is in range. For a helicopter rescue, the PLB should always be activated as the chopper will follow it in.

How is the rest of the party?

  • Are they in good condition?
  • Do you have enough food/water to walk out?
  • Do you have overnight camping gear?
  • Do you have adequate clothing for the weather?
  • Will you need the patient’s pack taken out? There is no guarantee that the helicopter will take it out.
  • Will the remaining partner /passengers of the injured person have essential gear for getting out and to the hospital (e.g. car keys, money, phone)?
  • If the patient is sharing equipment and/or food with another member of the party, has sufficient of the patient’s equipment and/or food been left?
  • Do you know which hospital they will be evacuated to?

Are you ready for the helicopter’s arrival?

  • How long will it be before the helicopter/land rescue party arrives?
  • If feasible and if it can be done without aggravating the injury, can you move the patient closer to the pickup site, but at least 30m away from helicopter rotor wash and falling debris? Keep someone with them to protect them from debris.
  • Have you put out campfires, and moved the patient’s pack closer to the pickup site?
  • Is everyone else at least 20m from the pickup site?
  • Is your mobile ready if the helicopter rings you?
  • Are signalling devices ready: e.g. torches for a twilight rescue or a mirror in bright sunlight?
  • Are bright-coloured objects (tents or flies) laid out so that they can be seen from the air? These must be secured firmly. They may be damaged by the intense downdraft.

Is the patient comfortable and ready for evacuation?

  • Are they warm, dry and comfortable?
  • Have you administered appropriate first aid?
  • Have you considered whether pain relief/sips of liquid are advisable given the nature of their injury, time to medical assistance and the possibility of the need for anaesthesia when they reach medical assistance? Note the time they last had food or drink and tell the rescue crew.
  • Do they have their keys, phone, health care cards (including Medicare card) and identification on them, in case they become separated from their pack?
  • Does the patient want you to contact anyone on their behalf?
  • If it is feasible and required, put some clean clothes on them so they have something to wear until they get home!

After the helicopter has left

  • Have you turned the PLB off? Note: It should remain on while the helicopter is still working on the incident.
  • Have you notified the Club Check-In Officer?

Prepared by CBC member Karen Cody.

Updated: 19-09-2024