Ms Shelby Shepherd1
1Wolfsons Childrens Hospital
Biography:
Shelby Shepherd is a Paediatric Emergency and Trauma RN at Wolfson’s Children’s Hospital who lives in Jacksonville, Beach Florida. She has a deep love for trauma and critical care as well as disaster relief research on a global scale. In her free time, she is a writer, photographer, and rides horses at an equestrian centre. Shelby has lived all over the United States including remote areas in the vast mountains of Washington and small beach towns in South and North Florida which ignited her passion for this Global Perspectives Abstract.
Abstract:
AIMS:
Thermo GPS flares on board every aeromedical unit can be used to signal in distress, when an aircraft fails, or if more aid is needed in a catastrophe setting. GPS flares can also be provided to first responders on the ground in remote locations at high risk for separation from their unit.
METHODS:
The GPS coordinates and visual clues from the thermo flare will adequately aid emergency personnel to locate and retrieve their members. The geotag attached to the flare will automatically issue a coordinate to the closest base with fixed wing aeromedical personnel. GPS thermo monitoring is already in use in cold chain vehicle efficiency for transportation of cold storage products to facilities. SeeWorld, is a global dynamic location service company that has already implemented these products. The threshold would be targeted to the flare at its minimum temperature when fired off, therefore triggering the GPS monitor to send off coordinates when flare is fired. Certain GPS locators also have geofences that notify if a locator device leaves a specific boundary, such as an environment that is deemed unsafe for a crew to fly into.
RESULTS:
GPS flares will ensure the safety of aeromedical staff by decreasing downtime if more rescue is needed to a remote location. The heavy reliance on cellular service and radio could be a downfall versus a thermo regulator GPS tracker that is triggered by the flare’s heat when fired.
CONCLUSIONS:
The author has lived in many locations during hurricanes, floods, and tornados in which a thermo geotag flare could have saved lives, by not solely relying on bluetooth and cellular service. By prioritizing the lives of emergency medical personnel on the ground and in the air, we prioritize those who need rescue on a global scale. When in doubt, flare it out.