From the Flight Deck

Sometimes a regular ambulance ride just can’t do it. Sometimes first responders need MedFlight.

Various staging spaces exist in Marshfield, but none is so well adaptable to the conditions of emergency helicopter flights and safety concerns as Marshfield Municipal Airport. And no onsite staff is so well prepared to assist as that of Shoreline Aviation, which manages the airport for the town.

Monday afternoon, Nov. 24, Marshfield Fire Department personnel put in the call to Boston MedFlight to assist in an urgent situation. The case at hand involved a traumatic injury, according to MFD Deputy Chief Patrick Smith.

“Our dispatcher contacted Shoreline to let them know we would be heading there,” Smith said Tuesday. “Shoreline opened the main access gate and secured it with staff, directed our crews where the best spot would be for MedFlight to land, moving a large airplane out of the way to ensure proper space for them to land, and coordinated with any other aircraft to ensure a safe landing/takeoff.”

MedFlight’s response time was 25 minutes, Smith said. Boston MedFlight bases at Hanscom Field in Bedford and also flies from Plymouth Airport and other locations.

“Medflight is utilized to continue patient care as well as get a patient to a Boston hospital quickly when the situation calls for it,” MFD said Monday in a social media post that informed the public of the incident. “Their response area is all over eastern MA and beyond.”

In this case, the destination hospital was Massachusetts General Hospital, according to Smith. “Due to the acuity of the injury, the crew determined a Boston specialty ER was in the patient’s best interest,” he said.

“Along with the great partnership with Boston MedFlight, we would like to thank Shoreline Aviation for their support,” MFD said in their post. “Their crews always provide assistance in ensuring the landing zone is safe as well as incoming aircraft. Thank you both for your assistance, and we wish everyone who needs this service a speedy recovery.”

Smith commented further the next day.

“Just want to thank everyone at Shoreline for their continued partnership,” he said. “We always enjoy and appreciate the training conducted with Shoreline as well as the continued support on these calls.”

MFD also worked with Shoreline and MedFlight in an emergency transport last December.

Photo courtesy of Marshfield Fire Department