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3.  Landing Zone Safety

a.

This information is provided for use by helicopter emergency medical
services (HEMS) pilots, program

managers, medical personnel, law enforcement, fire, and rescue
personnel to further their understanding of the

safety issues concerning Landing Zones (LZs). It is recommended that
HEMS operators establish working

relationships with the ground responder organizations they may come in
contact with in their flight operations

and share this information in order to establish a common frame of
reference for LZ selection, operations, and

safety.

b.

The information provided is largely based on the booklet, LZ

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 Preparing the Landing Zone, issued by

National Emergency Medical Services Pilots Association (NEMSPA), and
the guidance developed by the

University of Tennessee Medical Center's LIFESTAR program, and is used
with their permission. For additional

information,[1] go to

[2]http://www.nemspa.org/

.

c.

Information concerning the estimation of wind velocity is based on the
Beaufort Scale. See

[3]http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/beaufort.html

[4] for more information.

d.  Selecting a Scene LZ

If the situation requires the use of a helicopter, first check to see
if there is an area large enough to land

a helicopter safely.

FIG 10

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Recommended Minimum Landing Zone Dimensions

For the purposes of [5]FIG 10

[6]-

[7]2

[8]-

[9]4 the following are provided as examples of relative helicopter
size:

(a)

Small Helicopter:  Bell 206/407, Eurocopter AS

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350/355, BO

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105, BK

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(b)

Medium Helicopter:  Bell UH

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1 (Huey) and derivatives (Bell 212/412), Bell 222/230/430 Sikorsky

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76, Eurocopter SA

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(c)

Large Helicopter:  Boeing Chinook, Eurocopter Puma, Sikorsky H

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60 series (Blackhawk), SK

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The LZ should be level, firm and free of loose debris that could
possibly blow up into the rotor system.

The LZ should be clear of people, vehicles and obstructions such as
trees, poles and wires. Remember

that wires are difficult to see from the air. The LZ must also be free
of stumps, brush, post and large rocks. See

[10]FIG 10

[11]-

[12]2

[13]-

[14]5.

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Special Operations

References

1. http://www.nemspa.org/
2. http://www.nemspa.org/
3. http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/beaufort.html
4. http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/beaufort.html
5. file:///media/stevei/plnkx/aspirations/go-faraim/work/src/faraim/faa/aim/690/aim-690.html#0
6. file:///media/stevei/plnkx/aspirations/go-faraim/work/src/faraim/faa/aim/690/aim-690.html#0
7. file:///media/stevei/plnkx/aspirations/go-faraim/work/src/faraim/faa/aim/690/aim-690.html#0
8. file:///media/stevei/plnkx/aspirations/go-faraim/work/src/faraim/faa/aim/690/aim-690.html#0
9. file:///media/stevei/plnkx/aspirations/go-faraim/work/src/faraim/faa/aim/690/aim-690.html#0
  10. file:///media/stevei/plnkx/aspirations/go-faraim/work/src/faraim/faa/aim/690/aim-690.html#0
  11. file:///media/stevei/plnkx/aspirations/go-faraim/work/src/faraim/faa/aim/690/aim-690.html#0
  12. file:///media/stevei/plnkx/aspirations/go-faraim/work/src/faraim/faa/aim/690/aim-690.html#0
  13. file:///media/stevei/plnkx/aspirations/go-faraim/work/src/faraim/faa/aim/690/aim-690.html#0
  14. file:///media/stevei/plnkx/aspirations/go-faraim/work/src/faraim/faa/aim/690/aim-690.html#0