The emergency medical helicopters are manned by a crew of three people: a pilot, a prehospital emergency physician and an HEMS paramedic, who is a specially trained ambulance paramedic.

Requirements for the crew

All employees in Danish Air Ambulance are highly qualified. There are stringent requirements for the operational crew’s professional and vocational competences, experience and physical and mental robustness as well as, not least, their collaborative skills. Far from everyone makes it through the eye of the needle in the selection process. All those selected have completed an intensive training course.

On-call duty

The four emergency medical helicopters are manned 24/7. The pilot and the HEMS paramedic are on duty for one week at the time, while the emergency physician is typically on duty for 1-3 days at the time. During on-call duty, the crew must be ready to take off around the clock.

Mobilisation time

During the daytime, there is a mobilisation time of 4.5 minutes. This means that the emergency medical helicopter must be in the air within 4.5 minutes after an alarm call has been received. At night, planning of the flight and assessment of the weather may be more complicated, and it may take longer.

 

The emergency physicians

The pilots

The HEMS paramedics