SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/539275
them at all times in Mexico for just that reason," said Dr. Grange. "In extreme emergencies, we attempt to get official permission in route to fly a seriously injured patient directly to a trauma center in the U.S.," adds Shier. While the airborne team may seem small in scale, consisting of a pilot, doctor, and nurse. However, this team of specialists can make a major difference, especially in life and death situations. While Shier would like to have a navigator onboard too, he realizes the trade-off of having the doctor and nurse on board, and how much it has improved the medical quality of the air rescue team. With many miles of flight time, Dr. Grange can now double as Shier's second set of eyes, looking out for power lines, obstacles, and other aircraft as they make their way to or from an incident somewhere on the course. At the same time, the nurse communicates with ground crews at the scene and prepares the medical gear for their quick exit. "Thankfully SCORE provides us with a lot of ground support when an incident does happen, and that makes a huge difference for us," says Dr. Grange. While the thought of flying hundreds of feet over a race course sounds fun and exciting, it's very dangerous. According to Shier and Dr. Grange, it's extremely important for them to be familiar with the race course, whether it is in Mexico, or the western U.S. Just flying over a course at a fast pace and a fixed height, is a big deal for helicopter pilots and the medical crews that fly off-road events. "Flying a medical helicopter with Dr. Grange is a great experience because his extensive background makes me comfortable as a pilot to know that he is giving the best care possible as soon as he arrives on scene, - Ivor Shier 068 SCORE JOURNAL FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, NURSE DAWN DOWNS, DR. JEFF T. GRANGE, AND IVOR SHIER.