Medevac arrivals are often delayed - New Jersey

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Medevac arrivals are often delayed

Sunday, April 22, 2007

By JAMES W. PRADO ROBERTS

Gannett New Jersey

If your house is burning, the closest firefighters douse the flames.

If a burglar is prowling, the closest police officer gives chase.

If you are critically injured in an automobile accident and need to be

airlifted to a trauma center, you'd think you would always get the closest

available medevac helicopter crew.

Not in New Jersey.

Across the state, victims of horrific auto accidents and other major trauma

injuries have waited up to a half-hour longer than necessary for state-run air

rescue crews to reach them. Private medevac helicopters that are much closer

to some accident scenes are often deliberately not called by state medevac

dispatchers, Gannett New Jersey has found.

At least 24 times since July, state medevac dispatchers sent a state police

helicopter to pick up seriously injured victims in Burlington and Ocean

counties, even though a closer regional organization, could have arrived sooner,

according to the group and a review of state medevac dispatch recordings.

Patients in those cases faced delays of three to 28 minutes, according to

MONOC, a nonprofit regional emergency response organization, and records

reviewed by the Gannett.

Gannett New Jersey did not find evidence that anyone has died as the result

of these delays.

" I think it's a turf battle, and they are playing it with people's lives, "

said Assemblyman J. Biondi, R-Hillsborough, Somerset County, sponsor of a

bill that would require the closest-available medevac to be dispatched to a

trauma scene.

On at least two occasions, ground-based rescue crews canceled the medevac and

drove to a hospital rather than wait for a state helicopter, according to

Jeff Behm, MONOC's vice president of operations.

In February, A. of Toms River waited an estimated 17 minutes

longer than needed for air transport. A state police helicopter was called

first, even though a MONOC medevac craft was much closer. Members of his family

assumed that everything possible was done to help , who later died from

his injuries.

" I want to know what the heck happened, " said his sister, Maritza . " We

have been in the dark. "

The practice was in place when Gov. Jon S. Corzine was seriously injured in a

motor vehicle accident on the Garden State Parkway April 12. Although

medevac arrival time was not an issue, dispatchers did bypass a private medevac

helicopter, which was 17 miles away, in favor of a state police helicopter,

which was 34 miles away.

State police say their two medevac units have saved thousands of patients

including the governor. They also say private medevac operators aren't as safe,

while MONOC said its program is as safe or safer than any in the industry.

" Our record speaks for itself. In every case, we've delivered our patients

safely, " State Police spokesman Capt. Al Della Fave said.

Reach W. Prado at or at jwrapp.com

Louis N. Molino, Sr., CET

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