Originally Posted by
PirateJeff
Somewhat unrelated to a flight diversion, but I find that dispatchers don't always make the most logical decisions under pressure. Back in my law enforcement days it took us ~45 min to evac someone with a life flight that I probably could have pulled off in 30 min with one of our vehicles.
That's one of the bigger controversies in the EMS field - states and/or hospitals invest in helicopters. They are useful in some circumstances, but get overused to justify the investment. Dispatchers are likely following an established protocol and make the decisions for ground vs. air based on a combination of distance, type of injury/illness, and need for pre-hospital care, so their personal logic isn't a factor. You probably could transport a patient in the back of a patrol car faster than the helicopter (given the time it takes for the helicopter to arrive), but the flight EMS crew can provide a much higher level of care (i.e. intubation, IVs, continuous monitoring of vitals).