r Ambulance e more lives
work with the best of best. People probably don’t realise they are being treated by some of the best doctors in the world.”
Operating over London’s busy skyline
Captain Neil Jeffers, Chief Pilot at London’s Air Ambulance, has worked for the charity for more than ten years and conducts approximately one hundred emergency landings per year in one of the busiest airspaces in the world, ensuring the advanced trauma team gets safely to the side of critically injured patients.
Neil describes the challenges. “Being a pilot at London’s Air Ambulance means you get to know the city’s landscape very well and where the aircraft can land. However, trauma can happen to anyone and anywhere – so we never know when or where the next mission will be.”
© CI TY S ECURI TY MAGAZ INE – WINT ER 2015/16
The frequently asked question by Londoners is how do you find a good place to land in this heavily urbanised and populated landscape? Neil answers, “You work closely with the co-pilot to decide from the air on the most suitable place to land. Bridges, box junctions and multi-storey car parks are good places to land, so are sports pitches and fields. We often also land in busy, high profile locations such as Trafalgar Square and Horse Guards Parade.”
Of course, the ever-changing London skyline means there is a lot to keep up with, as Neil points out. “Cranes get higher, trees get taller, and buildings get developed. The skyline is constantly evolving and all of our pilots go through continuous extra in-house training to overcome the constant changes.”
Liaison during major incidents
London’s Air Ambulance is often at the forefront of any major incident in London and liaises with the other emergency services on the scene. They have a well-exercised understanding of the structures used. Gareth describes the approach. “All emergency services follow the same Gold, Silver, Bronze command structure, so when we get on scene, we try to meet the Silver Command from the Police, Fire and Ambulance and work out we how we can assist.”
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