Lavinia Gilliland1, Paul Noble2
1Air Ambulance Victoria, Essendon, Australia, 2Babcock Mission Critical Services Australasia Pty Ltd, Adelaide, Australia
Babcock Aircrew Officers (ACO) are expected to maintain a unique set of skills while operating on the Air Ambulance Victoria (AAV) HEMS contract. The successes that AAV experience on a day to day basis from the unique and efficient crewing model are worth sharing with the wider Aeromedical industry.
AAV HEMS tasking is typically carried out by three aircrew members – a Pilot, MICA flight paramedic (MFP) and an ACO. The inter-organisation crewing model is gelled into a close-knit crew that operates 24 /7, 365 days a year. The small number of permanent crew that operate in Victoria means there is an intimate familiarity with each member’s scope of practice, resulting in high levels of shared-cognition, which in turn produces high levels of care, safety and efficiency.
MFP’s provide the highest level of clinical care for AAV, and are able to perform interventions that include both adult and paediatric Rapid Sequence Intubation, point of care ultrasound, blood gas analysis, arterial line insertion, administration of blood products and perform chest thoracostomy. ACO’s operate in concert with the MFP’s and are expected to anticipate, prepare and assist with the above-mentioned procedures. ACO’s provide assistance with clinical care in pre-hospital emergency settings, but are also instrumental for efficient inter hospital transfers, including complex ventilated retrievals.
AAV expect Babcock ACOs to complete a comprehensive 4 monthly skills review that outlines and describes the required skills to adequately assist the MFP with their clinical tasks.
The overlap of responsibilities does not stop with ACO’s assisting with clinical tasks. MFP’s are trained as Rescue Crew Officers, which sees MFP’s qualified to go down the wire both over land and at sea, and assist with Confined Area operations by day and by night using Night Vision Devices. The ACO assumes the role of winch operator.
Biography:
Lavinia Gilliland
Lavinia began her career as a Registered Nurse. In 2007 she graduated with a Diploma of Paramedicine and in 2008 she became a Paramedic. She then began studies for a Diploma of Emergency Health (MICA Paramedic) where she graduated and accepted a position as Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) Paramedic in 2012.
Lavinia worked as a MICA Paramedic for 10 years before advancing to become a MICA Flight Paramedic. To achieve this position, Lavinia took on further studies where she graduated with a Certificate in Aeromedical Retrieval in 2019. In this extremely challenging role, MICA Flight Paramedics are Air Ambulance Victoria’s most skilled clinicians and can perform advanced treatments in trying environments, including administering blood, conduct ultrasounds and complete complex procedures.
Lavinia has been in this role for 2.5 years and continues to enjoy the variety and daily challenges she is faced with, including delivering the highest quality of care to the most critically unwell patients, in often the most challenging environments.
Paul Noble
Paul’s career began as a Soldier for the Australian Army in 2003 where he undertook his first deployment to Afghanistan in 2006. Three years later Paul became an Aircrewman serving a further two deployments to East Timor and participated in several iterations of disaster relief around Australia. After eight years in the Army, Paul then transitioned to a civilian role as SAR/EMS Aircrewman with Australian Helicopters (now Babcock Mission Critical Services Australia) in Warrnambool. Paul spent three years in this role before returning to the Army as an Aircrewman. In August 2019, Paul re-joined Babcock as an Aircrew Officer & Base Safety Officer where he has since completed a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration with Central Queensland University and is currently completing his Graduate Diploma in Aviation Management with the University of New South Wales. Paul was recently promoted to Base Manager in June 2022 while remaining as the Senior Base Aircrew Officer, and is responsible for management, guidance and advice to approximately 20 Babcock personnel at the Essendon Air Ambulance Victoria (AAV) base, while still fulfilling the duties of a line Aircrew Officer on the AAV contract. Across his career, Paul has also worked in several Work Health and Safety (WHS) and Quality roles including Safety, Compliance and Quality in both aviation and health organisation contexts.