Children’s of Alabama has acquired a new state-of-the-art helicopter that will allow the Critical Care Transport team to reach more children in emergency situations and treat them more effectively.
The helicopter was made possible through donations from the Monday Morning Quarterback Club, and it was named QB1 in acknowledgment of the gift.
The helicopter, an Airbus H145, replaces the team’s previous helicopter, which had been in use since 2012, and includes more sophisticated technology.
“It’s really cool that we’re going to have a new piece of equipment and state-of-the-art technologies for our medical crews to operate in,” Jason Peterson, director of the Critical Care Transport team, said in a statement. “But at the end of the day, it’s going to come down to the ability for our crews to provide excellent care for our patients and their families.”
The new helicopter has enhanced terrain avoidance systems, weather radar and other equipment that make it possible for crews to travel in Instrument Flight Rule conditions – something they previously could not do, being restricted to Visual Flight Rules through the Federal Aviation Administration. Now, the team can transport patients even when the weather is not totally clear.
The helicopter also has twin engines, a rolling stretcher and rear-loading capacity. It offers enough space for four crew members in the back by the patient, with a pilot and another passenger in the front.
“In the state of Alabama, it’s one of a kind,” Peterson said. “Currently, it is the only aircraft of this model in the state. It is one of the most advanced technological aircrafts in the state.”
The Children’s Critical Care Transport team began in 1983 transporting critically ill and injured children between medical facilities across the region. It has ambulances, an air medical jet and the helicopter – essentially mobile emergency rooms – that transport kids to facilities that offer the level of care they need.
“It’s very impactful,” Monday Morning Quarterback Club board member Jeff Stone said. “Our club is all about supporting the medical needs of children in our community any way we can, and I can’t think of a better way of doing it than through this helicopter.”
The operation of the helicopter is possible through a partnership between Children’s and Med-Trans Corporation, which provides all pilots, mechanics and other operation logistics for Children’s to use the new helicopter.