4/20/23 

AIM 

i.  Assisting the Crew 

1. 

After the helicopter has landed, do not approach the helicopter. The crew will approach you. 

2. 

Be prepared to assist the crew by providing security for the helicopter. If asked to provide security, allow 

no one but the crew to approach the aircraft. 

3. 

Once the patient is prepared and ready to load, allow the crew to open the doors to the helicopter and guide 

the loading of the patient. 

4. 

When approaching or departing the helicopter, always be aware of the tail rotor and always follow the 

directions of the crew. Working around a running helicopter can be potentially dangerous.  The environment is 

very noisy and, with exhaust gases and rotor wash, often windy. In scene operations, the surface may be uneven, 

soft, or slippery which can lead to tripping. Be very careful of your footing in this environment. 

5. 

The tail rotor poses a special threat to working around a running helicopter. The tail rotor turns many 

times faster than the main rotor, and is often invisible even at idle engine power. Avoid walking towards the tail 

of a helicopter beyond the end of the cabin, unless specifically directed by the crew. 

NOTE

−

 

Helicopters typically have doors on the sides of the cabin, but many use aft mounted “clamshell” type doors for loading and 

unloading patients on litters or stretchers. When using these doors, it is important to avoid moving any further aft than 

necessary to operate the doors and load/unload the patient. Again, always comply with the crew’s instructions. 

j.  General Rules 

1. 

When working around helicopters, always approach and depart from the front, never from the rear. 

Approaching from the rear can increase your risk of being struck by the tail rotor, which, when at operating engine 

speed, is nearly invisible. 

2. 

To prevent injury or damage from the main rotor, never raise anything over your head. 

3. 

If the helicopter landed on a slope, approach and depart from the down slope side only. 

4. 

When the helicopter is loaded and ready for take off, keep the departure path free of vehicles and 

spectators. In an emergency, this area is needed to execute a landing. 

k.  Hazardous Chemicals and Gases 

1. 

Responding to accidents involving hazardous materials requires special handling by fire/rescue units on 

the ground. Equally important are the preparations and considerations for helicopter operations in these areas. 

2. 

Hazardous materials of concern are those which are toxic, poisonous, flammable, explosive, irritating, 

or radioactive in nature. Helicopter ambulance crews normally don’t carry protective suits or breathing 

apparatuses to protect them from hazardous materials. 

3. 

The helicopter ambulance crew must be told of hazardous materials on the scene in order to avoid the 

contamination of the crew. Patients/victims contaminated by hazardous materials may require special 

precautions in packaging before loading on the aircraft for the medical crew’s protection, or may be transported 

by other means. 

4. 

Hazardous chemicals and gases may be fatal to the unprotected person if inhaled or absorbed through 

the skin. 

5. 

Upon initial radio contact, the helicopter crew must be made aware of any hazardous gases in the area. 

Never assume that the crew has already been informed. If the aircraft were to fly through the hazardous gases, 

the crew could be poisoned and/or the engines could develop mechanical problems. 

6. 

Poisonous or irritating gases may cling to a victim’s clothing and go unnoticed until the patient is loaded 

and the doors of the helicopter are closed. To avoid possible compromise of the crew, all of these patients must 

be decontaminated prior to loading. 

Special Operations 

10

−

2

−

17