Hyde County (N.C.) Emergency Medical Services said Aug. 11 it is the first EMS team in the U.S. to deploy a one-person aircraft, piloted by a paramedic, to provide advanced life support to patients waiting on ambulances.
During two 911 calls, a flight-trained paramedic piloted an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) while ambulance crews were en route. The paramedic, Quinn Reece, served as the pilot and sole advanced life support provider in both instances, according to a news release.
During one of the responses, the paramedic arrived about 20 minutes before an ambulance.
Hyde County is nearly 1,500 square miles and one of the least populated North Carolina counties, “making it one of North Carolina’s largest and most geographically challenging EMS response areas,” the release said.
Compared to traditional medical helicopters, which can transport patients but require large landing zones, the eVTOL aircraft “can land in small clearings” and “operate safely in environments where conventional helicopters may be impractical,” according to the release.
Hyde County EMS, Code Blue Resources and Pivotal developed the nation’s first concept of operations for using eVTOL aircraft for EMS, the release said. Akute Networks helped with the operational framework, protocols and flight procedures.
The organizations said the two missions “serve as a blueprint for emergency medical agencies nationwide seeking faster, more efficient ways” to deliver advanced life support, such as shortening the “first-to-patient” interval.
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