7.1 SLSQ Aviation/Helicopter Tasking

VERSION 1.0 – DECEMBER 2023

Purpose: To establish guidelines for communicating effectively with the SLSQ Westpac Helicopter Service.

Scope: This procedure applies to all operators at the State Operations Communications Centre (SurfCom).

General Information

The SOCC, SLSQ Operations and the SLSQ Aviation departments partnership provides both emergency and scheduled services to the community. Key partnership functions in this regard are attributed to:

1.1 Providing a rescue and operationally coordinated aviation rescue service, in support of SLSQ operational crews and systems.
1.2 The deployment of specialised equipment and retrieval teams for white water rescue.
1.3 Providing governance and supervision for aviation tasking’s.
1.4 Providing a single tasking point for the SLSQ Westpac Helicopter.
1.5 Monitoring the location and availability of the SLSQ Westpac Helicopter.
1.6 Ensuring Flight Progress Monitoring of the helicopter is maintained during flight activations/responses.

2. SLSQ Helicopter Activation Requests

The activation of aviation resources is often dependant on incident circumstances, such as the location of a patient and/or incident and the degree of available information regarding the patient/s condition.

SurfCom Operators must always remain cognisant of best patient outcomes, which should culminate in the transport of patients to the most appropriate location, in the safest most timely and efficient manner, ensuring the time differences between the onset of injury or drowning and the appropriate level of care are minimised.

The following circumstances should be considered for the notification or activation of aeromedical resources:

2.1 Type of incident; circumstances of the incident/injuries.
2.2 People in significant life-threatening situations.
2.3 Person/s priority; the need for rapid response to a drowning person/s.
2.4 Medical requirement; severity of injuries and medical condition.
2.5 Access difficulties to people; person/s in remote areas.
2.6 Time and/or distance to person/s; extended vehicle response.
2.7 Remoteness or distance from definitive care; people who may benefit from rapid transport to medical care such as Queensland Ambulance Service.
2.8 Availability of SLSQ resources.
2.9 Capability of local patrolling services.
2.10 Continued emergency response capability to the community.

3. Responsibility

All SurfCom Operators, are responsible for ensuring a holistic approach is maintained in respect to the response frameworks associated with the activation of aviation resources.

SurfCom Operators are responsible for ensuring aviation assets (helicopter/s) are logged onto LIMSOC and displaying accurate shift and location information.