1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,880 Speaker 1: This week, Well, the focus has primarily been on flooding 2 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: and the emergency that we've seen, and we have mentioned 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:11,399 Speaker 1: the enormous logistical efforts to be across all the different 4 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: areas impacted by sustained and flash flooding. Now, care Flight 5 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: has been one of the services undertaking an emergency response, 6 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:23,279 Speaker 1: and we know in that wild weather how challenging the 7 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: aeromedical retrievals can be. I mean, we just spoke about 8 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: about one person being rescued off the roof of a car. 9 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: Now joining us on the line in care Flights operation 10 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: is Careflights Operations manager. Nick have good good morning to you. 11 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,279 Speaker 2: Nick, Good morning Katie. 12 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: Lovely to have you on the show. Now, Nick, how 13 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:49,520 Speaker 1: has coordinating evacuations been while major transport routes have been closed? 14 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, look at it has absolutely brought up some challenges, 15 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 2: but having the benefit of a winch capability with our 16 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 2: rescue helicopter has has made the effort a lot easier. 17 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 1: I reckon it would have. We're just talking to being 18 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 1: one of the police officers involved in another rescue where 19 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 1: they didn't have a winch and it looked like it 20 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:16,039 Speaker 1: was pretty hairy that rescue. Yeah, I mean, Nick what's 21 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 1: it been like for you guys? How many rescues? Like, 22 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: have you had quite a large number of rescues that 23 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: you've had to do with the winch. 24 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 2: Look, we've only actually had to use the winch on 25 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 2: the one occasion, which was good. It is it is 26 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:32,680 Speaker 2: a high risk activity, so where we can, we will 27 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 2: look for alternate options. But we did retrieve a patient 28 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:41,679 Speaker 2: out of the man Moy community via winch during the effort. 29 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 1: Yeah right, and how like how difficult have some of 30 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: those retrievals been or talked me through some of what 31 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: you have been called out to. 32 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, we've been called out to a variety of 33 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 2: different things. Lots of people having babies at this time 34 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 2: of year, so that adds a layer of complexity with retrievals, 35 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 2: just with getting the appropriate crew composition and then loading 36 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:11,359 Speaker 2: the cot onto the aircraft, so that has provided some 37 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 2: challenges as well as just heading down to Beswick. We've 38 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 2: been down to Beswick a number of times to do 39 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 2: retrievals from next they're obviously very isolated, so yeah, it's 40 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 2: been a multi agency effort. We don't do anything in isolation. 41 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 2: Everything's done with our much value partners and stakeholders. 42 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:35,959 Speaker 1: It's been an incredible effort. You know what I love 43 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: about you guys that work in these emergency jobs, is 44 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 1: you all sort of downplay just how wonderful you've been 45 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 1: over the last week. But there's been some incredible things 46 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 1: going on. Nick, tell me a bit more about these 47 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 1: babies being born throughout the floods. 48 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:55,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, so there definitely were a number of when they 49 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 2: evacuated Catherine Hospital, there were there was a high number 50 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 2: of patients so did get moved up to Darwin just 51 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 2: to allow them to burn their babies up here, But 52 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:11,799 Speaker 2: there were a number of people that decided to stay 53 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 2: in community and so we were there to be able 54 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 2: to do those retrievals as those baby started to be born. 55 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: Wow. Now in terms of the number of retrievals as well, 56 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: what like? Have you got some numbers for us? 57 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 2: Look, we average about twenty five patients per day in 58 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 2: a normal in a normal day, so that can obviously 59 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 2: that being the average, that can obviously fluctuate. But patient 60 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 2: acuity also has a big effect on how many patients 61 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 2: we can retrieve. So if you're a really high priority patient, 62 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 2: we tend to not co transport on those missions and 63 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 2: so you know, you might be doing a six hour 64 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 2: round trip and only be able to retrieve one patient 65 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 2: with one asset, and then you get the lower acuity 66 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 2: patients where you're able to put more people on the aircraft. 67 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: I bet people are so happy when you guys rock 68 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: up and they're like, oh, thank goodness, care flights arrived. 69 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 2: Absolutely, Yes, we did get lots and lots of compliments around. Yes, 70 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:17,039 Speaker 2: thank god you're here. 71 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: And hey, what about you know, when you're talking about 72 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:23,680 Speaker 1: some of these rescues and you're in flooded waterways or 73 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 1: that people are in flooded waterways, how big a concern 74 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: are the crocodiles and the wildlife that we've got. 75 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:33,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, we're pretty measured with where we risk assess 76 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 2: before we depart. We you know, are constantly risk assessing. 77 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,679 Speaker 2: So like I mentioned earlier, we're always trying to land 78 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 2: the helicopter in a location that's going to be safe 79 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:49,919 Speaker 2: and the team Yeah, just constantly risk assess. 80 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, which you'd have to do. Hey, what kind of 81 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: weekend are you expecting? I mean, I guess you know, 82 00:04:57,240 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: the areas like the daily we are thinking that the 83 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:02,279 Speaker 1: all we're certainly the modeling showing that it's going to 84 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 1: peak over the course of the weekend. What kind of 85 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: weekend are the care flight crews expecting. 86 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, we think we're heading into a pretty busy weekend. 87 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 2: We're already busy. We've been really busy during the week 88 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 2: I believe you know. The weather system is starting to 89 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 2: move south, so we're just really crossing fingers that that continues, 90 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 2: will be fully operational. We'll be ready to respond to 91 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 2: any incidents that come in. But I think every Territori 92 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 2: and would be agreeing with me on this that we're 93 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:41,799 Speaker 2: hoping the weather system moves. Yeah. 94 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 1: Everyone's a bit over the rain now. 95 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 2: Are we totally totally? 96 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:50,719 Speaker 1: Oh well, Nick, have good Care Flight Entties Operations manager. 97 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 1: Lovely to speak to you this morning, and no doubt 98 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:54,720 Speaker 1: we'll talk again soon. 99 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 2: Lovely, Thanks Katie, thank you, thanks so much.