Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust – The White Island Experience – from rescue, to pre hospital care to inter hospital transfer.

Dr Chris Duncan1, Mr Stefan  Gabor1, Mr  Marcel Driessen1

1Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust, Ardmore, New Zealand

At 1411 on the 9th December 2019 Whakaari / White Island erupted. The Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust (ARHT) sent two AW 169 helicopters with 2 pilots, 2 air crew officers, 3 Intensive care paramedics and 2 doctors as a primary response with a further BK 117 helicopter with 1 pilot, 1 air crew officer, 1 Intensive care paramedic and 1 doctor subsequently also sent later in the day.
Dr Duncan and Mr Gabor and Driessen were clinicians tasked in the initial response.

This presentation outlines:

The initial considerations regarding landing on the volcano and providing initial rescue services.
An outline of initial cases transported from the scene / the Whakatane wharf to Hospitals in the North Island.
An outline of secondary transfers from Whakatane ED to tertiary centres around NZ.
Explanation of further support including transfer of blood to Whakatane provided by the service as the event unfolded.


Biography:

Chris – Emergency Medicine and Pre-hospital and Retrieval Medicine specialist. Originally from UK with EM and PHARM fellowship undertaken in NZ and ARHT. Overseas experience of a PHEM service with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance.
Marcel – One of ARHT’s longest serving ICP’s who has been with them since the early 2000’s His background is with St John ambulance where he started off as a volunteer in Tairua on the Coromandel Peninsula in the late 1980’s (while working for DOC).

Stefan – ICP with a rich and diverse background in Air/Ambulance Management, Operations, and Clinical Education.