Milestone for Athlone-based air ambulance as it airlifts 3,000th patient

More than eight years after it commenced operations from its base in Custume Barracks, Athlone, the emergency air ambulance service has airlifted its 3,000th patient.

The Emergency Aeromedical Service (EAS) was launched on June 4, 2012.

The joint initiative involving the Department of Health, the HSE, and the Defence Forces meant that National Ambulance Service advanced paramedics now had the assistance of a dedicated military helicopter for the rapid transfer of critical patients to the most appropriate hospital.

Initially set up for a 12- month trial period, the aim was to assess the level and type of dedicated Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) required in Ireland in light of closures of regional facilities such as Roscommon Hospital's A&E Department.

Since its inception, it has become a vital asset in terms of critical pre-hospital care and it has recently airlifted its 3,000th patient.

The service's helicopter crew consists of both Defence Forces personnel and an ambulance service advanced paramedic, and it remains on call seven days a week, 365 days a year.

The service's 'AirCorps112' helicopter is an AW139 twin‐engine, multi‐role machine, flown with a crew of two pilots and a crewman.

When configured for Emergency Aeromedical Service, it can accommodate an array of medical equipment, including oxygen, suction and defibrillator, several attending medics and a patient.

The AW139 is the fastest helicopter in its class, capable of travelling at 315 km per hour, allowing “AirCorps112” to reach anywhere in the country, and deliver patients to an appropriate hospital in minutes.

You can watch a Defence Forces video about the air ambulance service here: