A Squamish based helicopter rescue service has identified the need for more helicopter rescue options in Prince George and is now in the works to open up a base in the city.
Technical Evacuation Advanced Aero Medical Team (TEAAM) is a non-profit that offers services to areas across BC with limited paramedic access.
“Both myself and our VP have worked in the North and know the need that’s there,” explained Miles Randell, President of TEAAM Aeromedical, “we also have a base manager in Prince George who has made it quite clear that the need in that area is quite massive.
Randell started the non-profit in 2017, after losing a close friend in a remote setting.
“As soon as we can reach our funding goal of $350,000 then we will be able to equip our base and get started in Prince George,” explained Randell.
TEAAM is currently accepting donations online to fund their training programs and pay staff members.
“As far as when we open the base in PG, it’s entirely funding dependant,” he added,” but we’ve hired people to train up over the next few months and we could be equipped and ready to respond in as short as 60 days.”
The base is planning on having two scheduled medics but they can support up to 6 medics at a time (3 subsequent missions at a time).
When the base is up and running it will also employ a rescue specialist always ready to respond, as well as hoist operators and whatever personnel is required for the individual mission.
“We’ll be starting the PG base initially as a Medivac base to prove the concept,” noted Randell, “and then we’ll expand it to a rescue base once the funding allows us to.”
“We will see the call volume start to increase dramatically in the PG area because there just isn’t a program like it in such a vast area,” he added, “people will quickly realize what an asset it is for the area.”
Pics from our recent #MOUNTAIN #RESCUE course, where our lead guide from the TEAAM Guide Program, Chris Lawrence taught mountain rescue techniques. This enables our air crew to assist the #ACMG / #IMFGA guides with a technical #rescue In turn we teach them to assist medically pic.twitter.com/VjrQtuSq80
— TEAAM (@TEAAMHEMS) October 5, 2020