General information
The North Slope Borough Fire Department Medevac Division provides Critical Care medical transport utilizing both fixed and rotary wing aircraft. We serve the 8 villages of the North Slope with care beyond the regular scope of EMS. Patients may be transported from the village to Utqiagvik or from Utqiagvik to Anchorage or Fairbanks or from any of the villages to those destinations. The primary aircraft are a PC24 and a Beechcraft King Air 350. Both aircraft are configured to serve two patients at a time if needed utilizing LifePort medical transport systems. As many as 300 fixed wing missions are performed per year. Secondary missions are performed on S92 and Bell model 412 helicopter which are utilized for patient transport or Search And Rescue. Either helicopter can be configured to transport a single stretcher patient on a LifePort stretcher. The medical staff accompany the aircraft during Search And Rescue operations and can reach the near villages for patient transports when the fixed wing aircraft may be limited. Approximately 20 missions per year are performed in the helicopters.
Required Training:
The NSBFD Medevac Division flies with 2 Critical care paramedics. The paramedics generally need to have previous experience providing critical care in the setting of a hospital or another flight service. In general terms a paramedic needs 5 years of previous experience to work effectively in this role. Their role is critical to the team in providing logistical support and direct medical care. Physical fitness is also needed as the teams may find themselves performing strenuous activities at times.
Join the Team:
An interested individual should contact the Battalion Chief and discuss the requirements for joining our division. In keeping with the North Slope Borough’s desire to develop local staff the division is beginning a program to allow interested individuals to accompany the teams on patient care missions. Anyone wishing to explore this career field should contact the Assistant Chief to begin planning for the development of their abilities to secure a role in the division.
Contact
Anthony Neakok, Director
Phone Number: (907) 852-0234
Fax Number: (907) 852-0235
