If you’re a paramedic, physician or other medical professional; law enforcement, fire or public safety professional; or industrial safety officer, the following additional information on emergency-related services is recommended for you.
About Samaritan
The Parkview Samaritan Flight Program Fact Sheet contains information on operations, the aircraft and the crew, as well as several service statistics.
When to call Samaritan
Who is authorized to summon the Samaritan helicopters? Only individuals in certain emergency, medical and safety roles may summon Samaritan: physicians, nurses, emergency medical services personnel, police and fire officials, and industrial safety personnel.
The decision to call Parkview Samaritan is based on the judgment of emergency care personnel at the scene of the injury or at the area hospital where a patient needs transportation. No one can foresee all situations where Parkview Samaritan will be needed, but call Samaritan if:
- The patient’s condition warrants urgent transportation to a critical care institution.
- The local emergency care system does not provide advanced life support (ALS), or if ALS is unavailable.
- Response by local paramedics would be 20 minutes or more.
- Transportation of the patient is delayed by entrapment, traffic congestion, vehicle failure, weather or terrain.
- The patient is a long distance from a hospital.
- Transportation by local ambulances would hamper their ability to respond to other emergencies.
- The patient requires advanced procedures not provided by ALS personnel.
Focus on safety
When one of the Samaritan helicopters lands at the scene of an auto crash, farm accident, house fire or other event, the region’s fire and EMS systems prepare the landing zone and maintain safety.
Parkview takes measures to enhance safety of its patients and crew. Parkview Samaritan is an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR)-certified medical flight program in Indiana. IFR certification means that Samaritan helicopters can safely fly by instrument guides in certain types of weather for which flight may not be allowed by Visual Flight Rules.