Latest news with #HEMS
Buzz Feed
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
27 Of The Nicest Celebrities According To Pilots
Recently, I came across a pilot's forum and a thread on it asking about the nicest celebrities pilots have flown. Some of these make a ton of sense (looking at you, Julie Andrews), but some were a delightful surprise. "Anthony Hopkins. Flew him back from LA. A delight and absolute gentleman." — olster "Gordon Ramsay, recently. Utterly lovely and charming, 'Please call me Gordon.' Just wanted a bottle of water and slept for the entire flight." — galanjal "Celine Dion, when I was flying private. Completely lovely – even offered to take us to dinner, but we had to return to base." — toratoratora "Anne Bancroft and Mel Brooks. He was hilarious, but she was really quiet, almost shy!" — Extrolleydolly "The only one that really impressed me and should impress every pilot here was Sen. John Glenn. He came up after a very rough flight. We were the last plane into KCLT as the others started going around after us. He shook both of our hands, and he was flying coach." — skyhighfallguy "Forest Whitaker. Super nice guy! He signed my passenger manifest." — nick_m_007 "Robert De Niro. Very pleasant, funny, and friendly. He was wearing a wig as a disguise." — HEMS driver "Tom Cruise. Splendid fellow. Asked politely if he might come to the flight deck before departure, whereupon he asked some questions and we chatted about his new P51. Obviously, he stayed on with Cameron Diaz for some photos. Salzburg to Seville for the filming of Knight and Day." — blue up "Denzel Washington. Very friendly and chatty. We had a good chin wag in the galley." — Tray Surfer "Amy Winehouse. Met her a couple of times. The last time she got off, and was lovely (obviously had been at the cooking sherry), and wanted to know how my day was, and what I was doing after work." — EKA380LHR "Prince William, a few years ago. Absolutely delightful, very down-to-earth." — bunnygirl "Sade. Lovely, charming woman. Had time to chat with the crew and gave tickets to all of us on the flight, including backstage passes, plus meet and greet photos. She even invited the flight deck (us) to her concert and made sure her assistants looked after our tickets." — NG_Kaptain "Michael Caine. Such a LOVELY man! Flew him to Venice for the film festival, and he came into the galley and had a chat with us and was just so lovely." — jumpseatR4 "Julie Andrews. Wonderful, warm, and friendly." — vctenderness "Zac Efron. Engaging, personable, and signed an autograph. Those eyes do glimmer so much more in real life. True gentleman!" — mjo84 "Gerard Butler. Had the pleasure of meeting him on a Virgin Atlantic flight to LAX last month. What a nice man. He was very friendly and chatty. A real pleasure to talk with." — Lucky747 "Grace Jones. I met her in the Senator Lounge at FRA. She asked me if I knew how to use the massage chairs, as I was just about to get on one. I didn't realize who she was until I heard the lady with her address her as 'Grace', then the penny dropped. I offered her the first use of the massager, and she declined. She is charm personified, very dignified and quiet. She must have been in her mid-fifties then; she looked about 40." — Capetonian "Eric Clapton. A legend and a hell of a nice guy. He gave the entire crew comps for them and their family to his concert." — joeflyguy "Kelly Rowland. Was lovely. She slept for a lot of the flight as she had flown in from LAX, and we were taking her on to her final destination, but she happily posed for pictures with the crew. Very down-to-earth and stunningly beautiful." — glider12000 "Tina Turner. LHR–LAX in first class. She sat on the floor for several hours playing with a baby also traveling in first class. Charming and entirely without airs and graces." — Flightwatch "Olivia Newton-John. I have taken her between LAX–SYD a couple of times. So pleasant, friendly, and polite." — Grove "Michael Douglas. A true 'A' lister. Absolutely charming, shook everybody's hand, and thanked us after the flight." — bunkrest "Sean Connery. Top bloke. Sat in the cockpit for nearly the whole flight and chatted about anything from politics to football. Really nice." — Abusing_the_sky "Kate Hudson. Quiet, initiated conversation, showed a genuine interest in our lives, and felt more like a good friend than a passenger. She was even joking/teasing me about a very attractive bloke behind the curtain in economy." — ozangel "Jack Johnson was onboard one of my short sectors between Sydney and the Gold Coast. He was a very pleasant guy, smooth voice, beautiful tanned skin, and also had his wife/girlfriend with him as well as his cute little son." — TeamJQboy "I met Ricky Martin in our training centre. He was there to do some filming in a flight simulator for a TV show. He was lovely, posed for photos, and was very chatty. Shame I got really nervous and could not think of a single thing to say to him." — ezpz Finally, "Robin Williams. The most down-to-earth, sweetest guy. No entourage for him, boards quietly and low-profiles it. Very funny and will laugh at your own jokes." — Dea Certe
Daily Mirror
13-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
US tourist 'hit accelerator rather than brake in fatal crash' near UK landmark
A court heard US tourist Cathy Stewart, 67, hit a woman who was sitting on a bench near the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland with her vehicle - the woman later died An American tourist involved in a fatal crash near the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland hit the accelerator rather than the brake, a court heard today. US resident Cathy Stewart, 67, appeared at Coleraine Magistrates' court charged with causing death by careless driving. A police officer told the court the collision, involving a grey Ford Transit vehicle, happened at the front of the Causeway Hotel in Bushmills at around 12.15pm on Wednesday. The officer said a pedestrian who was sitting on a bench was hit during the crash. The Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) and Ambulance Service personnel rushed to the scene of the collision. The pedestrian was taken to Causeway Hospital in Coleraine but sadly died of her injuries. In court, the police officer said footage obtained from the hotel showed the vehicle being "parked in a disabled parking bay" before passengers departed, Belfast Live reports. The court heard that the footage shows the vehicle "move forward slowly" before it "suddenly bolts forward". The deceased's brother, who was also sitting on the bench, managed to "jump out of the way" of the moving car, the court heard. The officer said Ms Stewart, who was cautioned at the scene, "gave an account consistent with the CCTV." The driver told police she had "tried to apply the foot brake and hit the accelerator" and she "appeared remorseful" during interview, the officer said. The defendant said she had "never driven an electric or hybrid vehicle before" and had mistakenly believed the vehicle was "off". The court was told the defendant said she had got back in to the car and was "feeling for the brake to stop the vehicle". A defence solicitor described the collision as a "tragic, tragic case" where a "simple error" has had "catastrophic consequences." The solicitor read a portion of the defendant's interview with police, where Stewart had described herself as "just devastated". The solicitor told the court the defendant had said she "can't get that family out of my head" and that her "only thoughts are with that family". The court heard the defendant had worked for decades as a special needs teacher, had no criminal record, and had never been involved in an at-fault collision before. Bail was granted with a £5,000 cash surety with the judge describing it as "entirely disproportionate" to keep the defendant in custody or away from her home in the United States during what he said is expected to be a lengthy judicial process. The case was listed again for July 1.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Woman and three boys die in Brent house fire
A 43-year-old woman and three boys, aged 15, eight and four, have been killed in a house fire in Brent, north-west London. The emergency services were called to the blaze in Tillett Close, Stonebridge, at about 01:20 BST. A 41-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and remains in custody, the Met Police said. A further two people were taken to hospital, the Met said. Their conditions have not been disclosed. Two terraced three-storey homes were involved in the fire, which was brought under control by about 03:25, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said. Eight fire engines and about 70 firefighters from stations across Wembley, Park Royal and Willesden were sent out to tackle the blaze. "A woman and a child were rescued from the second floor of one property by crews wearing breathing apparatus and received immediate emergency care," the LFB said. "Both were sadly declared deceased at the scene by a Helicopter Emergency Services (HEMS) team. "Two more children were discovered inside the property as crews carried out firefighting operations and were declared deceased at the scene." Supt Steve Allen, from the Met's local policing team in north-west London, said: "This is an extremely tragic incident and our thoughts are with everyone involved... we continue to work alongside investigators from the London Fire Brigade to establish the cause of the fire." Emergency services will remain in Tillett Close throughout the day as inquiries continue, the Met added. Leader of Brent Council Muhammed Butt said in a statement: "Our deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those who lost their lives in this horrific incident. "The council has set up a rest centre nearby and a dedicated team has been looking after families who needed to be evacuated. We will continue to support those affected. "We are working closely with the London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police as they conduct their investigations into the cause of the fire, and will continue to offer them our full support and assistance." Dawn Butler, MP for Brent East, posted on X that she was "devastated to see the fatal fire" and her prayers were with the family and friends affected.
Irish Examiner
22-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Air ambulance operator flags safety issues following changes to staffing levels
Serious flight safety risks emerged on one of the State's air ambulances after the National Ambulance Service made changes to the medical crewing model on the aircraft. The changes, which included cutting the number of paramedics on board the Cork-based Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) from two to just one on certain shifts, led to a 'marked deterioration' in how the medical staff performed certain aviation tasks they were trained to do while as part of a crew of two rostered on the aircraft, the company which operates the life-saving service said. A senior official with Gulf Med Aviation Services, which operates the service under contract to the ambulance service, was so concerned about the issues that he wrote to the ambulance service in February to say he had seen "workflow and cognitive errors" in the aviation-focused tasks paramedics need to perform safely while working as part of the helicopter crew, based at Rathcoole, near Millstreet. The correspondence, which has been seen by the Irish Examiner, included a warning that the 'low levels of motivation, concentration, and attention to the task' that appear to have resulted from the recent medical crew changes was 'evident and impactful'. The Gulf Med executive said paramedics had been trained to work in the challenging HEMS environment as part of a team of two medics on the aircraft, but that they were often being rostered to work a HEMS shift on their own. 'The risks involved in such a change are self-evident,' the National Ambulance Service was told. The Gulf Med executive also warned that a paramedic returning from a significant period away from the HEMS unit is often required to mount a HEMS mission within minutes of arriving at the base. This is not a safe practice. The ambulance service was asked for an immediate intervention to address the issues, with a request for a reduction in the disruption and changes that were clearly affecting 'the motivation, concentration, and attention to detail that is necessary to remain safe'. It was told that like most safety-critical activities, all that has to happen for a serious incident or an accident to occur, is for the people involved to do nothing. Gulf Med Aviation Services did not respond to requests to comment. In response to queries from the Irish Examiner, the HSE and National Ambulance Service insisted that the Cork-based air ambulance service is safe, and there are no outstanding issues. 'Currently the HSE and Gulf Med Aviation Services are satisfied that services are safe and working effectively. The crewing model for the HSE's HEMS is safe for patients and staff,' a spokesperson said. Read More Millennial medics share their prescriptions for good health and wellbeing
Irish Examiner
22-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Company outlines how reduction of paramedics in air ambulance service poses safety risks
The company which provides a life-saving air ambulance service for the State raised serious concerns about flight safety risks after the HSE's National Ambulance Service (NAS) introduced changes to the medical crewing model on the aircraft. The crew changes included rostering just one paramedic to work some of the shifts on the aircraft, which operates from a base near Millstreet, in Cork, to covering the south west and beyond. In an explosive email, a senior official in Gulf Med Aviation Services (GMAS), which provides the aircraft and pilots for the service under contract to the NAS, said since the changes: he had seen a marked deterioration in how the medical staff on board the helicopter perform their aviation tasks while tasked to work shifts on the helicopter; he had seen "workflow and cognitive errors" in the aviation-focused tasks the medical crew need to perform safely as part of the helicopter crew; and how the 'low levels of motivation, concentration, and attention to the task' that appear to have resulted from the recent medical crew changes is 'evident and impactful'. Malta-based GMAS went so far as to formally ask NAS officials for 'an intervention at the earliest opportunity' to address the issues, which were flagged in February. The HSE has insisted, however, that the helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) is safe and working effectively, that the crewing model is safe for both patients and crew, and that there are no outstanding matters of concern in relation to the contract. The revelation comes just weeks after the Irish Examiner reported how the HEMS covering the south was at risk of being grounded in a row over NAS moves to cut the number of paramedics rostered to work on the aircraft from two to just one. Farm safety minister Michael Healy-Rae described any such move as 'reckless'. The crewing changes were being advanced despite internal reports warning HSE and NAS management that a solo paramedic crewing model poses a risk to patients, to the paramedics and pilots, and poses a flight safety risk. The Irish Examiner reported last March how one internal report warned that if the NAS couldn't provide two paramedics for each of the HEMS aircraft, then the service should be stood down on those days. The HEMS is currently operating several shifts with just one medical crew member on board. The National Ambulance Service provides two dedicated HEMS responses in Ireland - one based in Cork, operated by GMAS, and the other in Athlone operated by the Air Corps - with medical staff on both aircraft supplied by the NAS. File picture: Dan Linehan A senior manager also warned that a single patient safety incident such as a drug error, an in-flight patient emergency, or in the worst-case scenario, a crash, would bring the crewing issue 'sharply into focus'. Concerns were also expressed in March that the NAS was recruiting emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to replace the second paramedic on the aircraft. Qualifying as an EMT takes just five weeks. EMTs cannot perform any of the major 'interventional skills' required to help critically ill patients, including intubation – the placing of a tube in a patient's airway – and the intravenous administration of powerful painkillers, which are often required of patients who need an air ambulance. The NAS provides two dedicated HEMS responses in Ireland - one based in Cork, operated by GMAS, and the other in Athlone operated by the Air Corps - with medical staff on both aircraft supplied by the NAS. In 2022, GMAS won the competitive tender for the delivery of the Cork-based service, taking over from the previous charity provider in February 2023. It is understood the company won the tender again earlier this year. GMAS has an aviation safety management system (SMS) which underwrites the approval of its HEMS service here by its regulator, TM-CAD, the civil aviation directorate in Malta. The National Ambulance Service said it takes concerns raised around the safety of its services very seriously. File picture: Larry Cummins But earlier this year, concerns were emerging from within the service about changes the NAS was making to the medical crewing model on board the aircraft, which included reducing the number of paramedics rostered to work the aircraft from two to just one on certain shifts. In his letter to NAS officials in February, the GMAS official said the HEMS base in Cork had been operating for about two months with a limited medical team on the helicopter. 'It is important that as the operator of the service, we ensure our SMS processes are robust and commensurate with the acceptable risks that prevail during intensive HEMs operations,' he wrote. 'As we understand it, the advanced paramedics are generally spending seven shifts on the helicopter operation within a five-week period. The complex mix of other duties away from the HEMS operation further reduces their capacity to cope. 'As a result, Gulf Med is experiencing workflow and cognitive errors in the aviation centric tasks required of the paramedics that are critical for them to safely interface with the aviation side of the operation. In addition, the low levels of motivation, concentration, and attention to the task that appear to have resulted from the recent changes is evident and impactful.' The company said safety is the number one consideration for all aviation operations and the regulations demand that due attention is given to the management of changes. 'In this case, the HEMs Rathcoole unit has seen three new HEMs paramedics very recently trained and allocated to the helicopter,' the GMAS official said. 'These individuals were trained and certified in a multi-practitioner role (two medical crew on board) and had barely consolidated before being rostered in the single practitioner role on the helicopter. The risks involved in such a change are self-evident. 'For example, a paramedic returning from a significant period away from the unit is often required to mount a HEMS mission in the first few minutes of arriving at the base. This is not a safe practice.' It said like most safety critical activities, all that has to happen for a serious incident or an accident to occur, is for the good people involved to do nothing. The Gulf Med official said he felt they were at the point where something needs to be done to improve: the recent experience of all staff on board the helicopter to match the risks involved in the operation; the mental capacity of junior members of the team to cope with the HEMs role; and a reduction in the disruption and changes that are clearly affecting the motivation, concentration and attention to detail that is necessary to remain safe. GMAS did not respond to requests to comment. Any issues relating to a contract like this, and which are being raised for resolution, must be raised by the relevant company through a formal contract management framework which has been established through the relevant public procurement process. In a response to queries from the Irish Examiner, the NAS said it takes concerns raised around the safety of its services very seriously. 'Any concerns or issues raised in relation to the HEMS are escalated through our agreed contract management process and dealt with expeditiously,' it said in a statement. 'Currently the HSE and Gulf Med Aviation Services are satisfied that services are safe and working effectively. 'The crewing model for the HSE's HEMS is safe for patients and staff. Since its inception in June 2012, the HSE HEMS has operated a successful crewing model consisting of one specialist paramedic and one EMT. 'In September 2024, the HSE commenced a feasibility study to examine the need for physician-delivered HEMS in Ireland. The preliminary results of the trial have not supported any change to the HEMS crewing model, hence the trial period has been extended into 2025.' The HSE said both of its HEMS continue to operate normally, with further support, if required, provided through the Irish Coast Guard's search and rescue aviation service.
