The air ambulance is tasked by dialling 999, in the same way all other emergency services are dispatched. Having spoken to an operator, the caller will then be transferred to ambulance control who will ask a series of questions relating to the inicdent.
If the answers meet the required criteria then the air ambulance is immediately alerted and tasked. Or thats how things used to be....
New Air Control Desk
February 2008 saw the introduction of a dedicated air control desk based at North West Ambulance Service headquaters in Broughton just outside Preston.
The 'air-desk' is dedicated to identifying which 999 calls require the air ambulance and has nearly tripled the aircrafts rescue missions since its inauguration.
Two new disptachers, Anne-Marie Fallon and Rachel Moore, operate the desk at Broughton and monitor all 999 calls throughout the region. This allows the air ambulance to be dispatched to the most appropriate missions to maximise its effectiveness without compromising efficiency.
North West Air Ambulance paramedic, Justin Mawtus, commented: “The new air control desk means North West Air Ambulance can work collectively with the emergency services across the region as one united team. Our crew can quickly arrive at the scene of an accident as the control room notifies us of all emergencies as they are occurring.
“The air ambulance is crucial in transporting patients to the nearest hospital, especially from desolate or very congested areas such as motorway accidents. The new control desk is helping the charity reach as many patients as possible in a day, saving a significantly increased number of lives across the North West.”
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