Dustin Duncan

My Oh My How Time Flies......

2010-10-15T20:27:00.002-06:00

It's been over year since I actually posted on the blog. ALOT has happened in that time, including a new job that led to an eventual move to Bend, Oregon. I was once told by my father "The best time to be looking for a job is when you don't need to". That's the case here. Thanks to a well respected colleauge in the air medical industry, my name was dropped so to speak when a management postion opened at AirLink Critical Care Transport. I began the new position "solo" in January 2010. My family remained in Grand Junction while the boys finished their spring semester and our home in Grand Junction sold. They joined me in Bend toward the end of May. We moved into our new home in Bend in June and spent the remainder of the summer getting settled in. Spent a fair share of time at car shows, air shows and getting to see the beauty of central Oregon. Boys have since returned to school. Nicholas, now 12 is in the 6th grade at High Desert Middle School. Alex, now 10 is in the 4th grade at Bear Creek Elementary School. Lynn is enjoying her time at home since the move. In addition to unpacking all of our stuff from the move, she has added some color to interior walls of the house, all of which were white when we moved in. She continues to find plenty of things to keep herself busy.

Flying Lessons: Please Don't Call Them Heroes

2010-07-23T22:24:00.000-06:00

Flying Lessons: Please Don't Call Them Heroes

H.R. 1201; Air Medical Safety Act

2009-03-03T20:24:00.000-07:00

The Air Medical Safety Act was recently assigned the following bill number; H.R. 1201 in the 111th Congressional Session. It's been referred to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and is in need of additional co-sponsorship. For more information on aiding in additional co-sponsorship, refer to www.safemedflight.org .

Congressman John Salazar (CO-03) to introduce "Air Medical Safety Act" in the 111th Congress

2009-02-25T12:25:00.002-07:00

Today it was announced Congressman John T. Salazar (CO-03) will be reintroducing legislation titled the "Air Medical Safety Act", aimed at inproving the safety of air medical transport crews and their patients. This bill is similiar to legislation introduced in October 2007 (H.R. 3939). With the beginning of the 111th Congress, a new bill number will be assigned to the recently dropped legislation. I will provide a link to the new bill once published.

Duncan's 56 Caddy in downtown Grand Junction parade

2009-02-21T16:03:00.001-07:00

Earlier today, we ran the Caddy in a downtown parade with others from the car club. Lots of people lined the streets on what turned out to be a beautiful day.

Recent Travels to Washington D.C.

2009-02-06T20:48:00.002-07:00

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of meeting with 22 individuals who have lost family members in air medical crashes. They were gathering for the four day NTSB Public Hearing on Helicopter Emergency Services (HEMS). These family brought along stories, pictures and memories of their lost family member as well as a passion to push for improvements in HEMS safety. Along with these family members I had the opportunity to meet with all five NTSB Board Members and many support staff at a special meeting arranged for the attending family members. A sobering experience to say the least.
I have posted a couple of news videos that not only talk about the NTSB Hearings, but reference the many crashes, many deaths and many family affected. Please take the time to view them and other news article posted at www.safemedflight.org

Living Room.......complete.

2009-01-19T16:05:00.000-07:00

With nearly all of the remodeling work complete, cleaning and unpacking continues. At times, we feel like we're moving into a different house. Although we've added some new furniture and decor, we've also thinned out several items, most going to Catholic Outreach and the Salvation Army. The attached photo is the living room, getting much more use than in the past.

Progress in the Kitchen.....

2009-01-14T21:34:00.002-07:00

A bit more progress made today on reinstalling the cabinet doors and drawers. With any luck..... the kitchen will be wrapped up by Friday!

Dining Room completed..... I think?!

2009-01-14T12:03:00.003-07:00

After relocating the ceiling box for the new dining room light, I "think" the dining room is now officially completed. Floor, paint, baseboards, trim boards and now lighting completed. Here's a before and after photo.....

The end is near......

2009-01-12T10:03:00.002-07:00

As another week concludes, progress continues and light is near. In the foyer, the chandelier was installed and the banister rail extension was completed. All of the baseboard trim and door trim was installed along with the "wall" separating the dining room and refrigerator.
The kitchen cabinets makeover is near completion. The last of the doors and new hardware should be installed by the end of the week. Here's a few photos highlighting the progress......

Miss Molly

2009-01-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

By days end, Molly discovered a new place to nap but where she can keep a watchful eye on everyone. Nothing gets by her...... even during a nap!

Time to start moving in furniture.

2009-01-05T11:52:00.007-07:00

The living room & dining area; aka "the workshop" officially became livable later this morning with the delivery of some replacement furniture. Not exactly sure if the lay of the land will remain as shown in the pictures..... but it's a start!

Monday morning.........

2009-01-05T08:47:00.003-07:00

What a great feeling to wake up Monday morning to the site of this floor! No more staples, nails or slivers from walking on the sub-floor. Before returning the pneumatic nailer this AM, I'll finish up the half bath off the dining area.

The end is near.....

2009-01-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

Although it took until this evening, we got the last of the boards laid in the living room. George stuck it out so we could move the piano back into place which just happened to near the finish! A few boards remain in the half bath off of the dining room then onto the trim work.

Lots of wood....lots and lots of wood!

2009-01-03T20:29:00.002-07:00

Yesterday we began laying the hardwood floor. We started out with a faulty pneumatic nailer, but were able to locate another by mid afternoon. George helped get us started thereafter and Nicholas and I took it from there. The attached photo was taken today. Although the temps were near zero outside, Nick decided to go shirtless inside given all the lights we were working under!

Merry Christmas from The Duncan's

2008-12-25T11:40:00.002-07:00

Staying close to home for yet another Christmas. With five inches of snow currently blanketing the valley floor, another storm is forcasted to drop up to another 8 inches of powder tonight! Temps have been getting down in the single digits at night, but warming into the 20's during the day. Glad their are no travel plans in our immediate future.
The boys awoke this AM (5:30 AM) to see what lie under the tree and in their stockings from family, friends and of course....Santa. After baking some cookies this AM, we'll soon be getting ready to have a holiday meal with the Crawfords; family friends.
From our family to your, we wish you a safe, happy holiday season.

The hardwood floor has arrived......

2008-12-24T14:30:00.003-07:00

After two weeks of waiting, the hardwood floor arrived today! 47 boxes (1000+ square feet) of 3 1/4 inch natural ash boards will help rounds out the remodel project! After a week and a half of acclimating in the house, the floor will ready to lay.

Here's a photo of various boards.....

Remodel update.....

2008-12-21T20:00:00.003-07:00

After yet another busy weekend, we're that much closer to completing the remodeling project. I was able to get the remaining sheet rock hung, taped and ready for texturing. I' hoping to get this done by next weekend in anticipation for the arrival of the hardwood floor. I can't tell you how happy I'll be to longer deal with sheet rock dust in EVERYTHING!!
Lynn continues to plug away at the kitchen cabinets and doors. I've got the upper cabinet doors routered and ready for placement of the seed glass. Installation of new cabinetry hardware, some trim work & touch up painting should be completed by the first of the year!
Pending arrival and installation of the hardwood floor, the possibility exists for the project to be wrapped up by the end of the first week in January. More to come.......

Wall Adjacent to the Entry Foyer

2008-12-14T10:18:00.007-07:00

The past week has seen some more progress on the remodel. With the plumbing concluded, we're making headway on the electrical. We've sheetrocked the ceiling where the entry closet and dining room walls previously stood. And....... I finished yet another "unplanned" project that struck me late last weekend. The following photos should speak for themselves. The affected wall is left and adjacent when entering the front door foyer. I decided the wall needed to be more open and the last of three following photos shows a 16 square foot opening that I finished & trimmed yesterday. Once the texturing of the ceiling is completed in the foyer, a new chandelier light will be hung and within view from the kitchen and dining room.

Before the Entry Closet was removed............

After the Entry Closet was removed.......

After the Entry Foyer opening was finished......

The foyer chandelier to be seen through the new foyer opening......

Let there be light........

2008-12-08T13:03:00.007-07:00

Over the weekend, George Bennett and I got the recessed lighting installed and wired in the kitchen, dining room and living room areas. A total of 24 six inch recessed cans were installed on four separate switches. A chandelier type lighting over the dining room table and pendant lighting over the kitchen island is still pending.
The extra lighting is already being to good use as the remodel continues. Here's a few photos of each area.......

Update on the Kitchen.....

2008-12-02T20:47:00.007-07:00

Thought I'd post some photos of the progress on the kitchen part of the remodel. Removal of the cabinets over the stove top, the corner wall where the refrigerator was previously located and 3/4 inch of flooring throughout has been completed. We're in the the progress of refinishing all of the cabinetry, adding glass to all of the upper cabinet doors and changing the lighting. Recessed lighting and pendant lighting above the newly located stove top island is in the works.

And the remodel continues........

2008-11-27T17:57:00.007-07:00

As the "kitchen remodel" progresses, so do a handful of other projects both planned and unplanned. One of the unplanned projects was "updating" of the living room fireplace. Originally constructed with 70's red brick, the fireplace was a dated first impression when entering the house. A trip to The Brickyard on Tuesday of this week and a recent hour episode on the DIY Network channel changed this though!! Here is a before photo of the living room fireplace........

And...... here is an after photo of the living room fireplace completed earlier today!

18 hours over a two day period was committed to the project which the has been deemed a success.

An Episode of Dirty Jobs....

2008-11-15T18:51:00.000-07:00

Those that have ever seen an episode of Discover Channel's Dirty Job's, can relate to this posting. After educationing myself with the help of the internet, I decided it was time to tackle the removal of the popcorn texturing on ceiling of the kitchen, dining room, living room and entryway. I had no idea what I was in for, but the following pictures sort of speak for themselves.....

Kitchen Renovation

2008-11-12T13:53:00.003-07:00

A couple of photos of the kitchen before beginning the remodel. Cabinets over the stove and the wall surrounding the refrigerator are the first items needing removal. We're hoping to create much more of an open feeling between the kitchen, dining area and living room. Let's get started..

Extreme Home Makeover - Duncan Edition

2008-11-10T18:17:00.002-07:00

Work is well underway on the upper level remodel. Walls are coming down where the formal dining room and closet once stood. The hope is for better use of this space and a more open floor plan. Work in the kitchen is also in full swing. this includes removal of some overhead cabinetry and cupboards. Lynn and I are doing most of the work thus far, but will call in some help with electrical and plumbing needs. Here are a few photos highlighting the progress....

The formal dining room before the walls came down....

After the walls came down.......

Progress on the kitchen as well as photos will be coming in a future post........

2008 Hallelujah 5K and 1K Fun Run

2008-10-25T11:28:00.003-06:00

Early this chilly fall morning was the 2008 Hallelujah 5K & 1K Fun Run. This annual event is sponsored by and begins at the Holy Family Catholic School just north of our home. Nicholas and I ran the 5K and Alex ran the 1K all successfully crossing the finish line. Nicholas placed 1st in his age group with a time of 25:58. I wasn't far behind him with a time of 26:27. Alex crossed the finished line in 1st with a time just under 5:00. Lynn cheered the boys on and greeted us at the finish line.

Nicholas Turns 10!!

2008-08-23T13:57:00.001-06:00

August 22nd marked yet another milestone in the Duncan family when Nicholas reached the double digit age of 10. He opted to have "a few friends" over for a pool party. In all 15 friends attended and packed the pool for over three hours on a Friday evening. A picture is worth a thousand words......

AutoFest 2008

2008-06-15T18:26:00.004-06:00

As this weekend concludes, so does the 2008 AutoFest Car Show here in Grand Junction. This year I was co-chair for the car show, part of the Western Slope Chapter of VMCCA. Proceeds from this record attended car show will go to Colorado Discover Ability and Center for Enriched Communication. Months and months of work go into the annual car show held on Father's Day weekend with plans for 2009 not too far off!

New Employer.....New Job......First Day

2008-06-09T16:30:00.002-06:00

After nearly 9 weeks of enjoying time with family, friends and chipping away at my "To Do List", I re-entered the work force with a new position at Community Hospital here in Grand Junction. Today was my first of two days of new employee orientation. Unit orientation to the Intensive Care Unit and ED to follow where I'll be staffing three days a week. I'm excited about getting back to the bedside and providing direct patient care.

Unveiling of the 56 Cadillac Ambulance

2008-05-10T18:30:00.007-06:00

Nicholas and I "road tripped" to Gateway, Colorado today for the annual Gateway Auto Museum Car Show with the "new" 1956 Cadillac Meteor Ambulance we recently aquired. I located this car last fall, but only this spring entered serious discussions with the Hackensack, NJ owner regarding purchasing it. Nick and I had a great day taking in nearly 100 "invite only" automobiles. The Cadillac joins Grandpa Harold's 1930 Ford Model A Tudor to our families are collection.

All Good Things Must Come to an End.......

2008-04-11T17:30:00.003-06:00

As of this afternoon, I am no longer employed at St. Mary's Hospital. Following a meeting with the Brian Wood, Director of Emergency Services and Karen Bishop, Employee Relations Manager, I tendered my resignation. Mixed feelings of course, however I'm going to seize this opportunity professionally and establish greater balance personally. I'll miss the many good people that make up the "who" of St. Mary's Hospital and the CareFlight Program.

Welcome "Ms. Molly" to the family!

2008-03-28T23:11:00.005-06:00

On Friday, March 14th, "Ms. Molly" an eight week old female yorkie pup officially joined the Duncan Family. Molly was a surprise from me to Lynn, Nicholas and Alex who have been longing for a puppy for sometime. Molly is now settled in, however continues to get a bit lonely at night!

"Top Spot" Recipient

2007-11-28T13:43:00.003-07:00

Recently, Lynn and I attended a banquet honoring her and 100 other St. Mary's Hospital employees as "Top Spot" recipients for 2007. This recognition is the first of event that's part of the new Hit the Spot Recognition Program at St. Mary's. These employees were nominated and eventually selected by the senior leadership team as being the top 5% performing hospital employees for the last evaluation period. Following the meal, all recognized received a framed certificate, $400 in cash. Good job Lynn!

"Why do you do what you Dad?"

2007-09-02T21:00:00.004-06:00

When I finished the final submission in my Journal for the week of August 26th – September 1st, I noted what a busy month August was and that September was starting out “just right”. This in part was because it was Saturday and…..my day off!! Sunday, September 2nd started out at 7:00 AM by beginning a 24 hour helicopter shift. The flight nurse that I relieved had a busy shift (4 patients), so I began to mentally prepare my self for a busy shift….given it’s Labor Day weekend.
Like most days at work, I began by reviewing what didn’t get done from the previous shift (e-mails, voice mails, snail mail, etc.). I’d complain amount the amount of e-mails I get, but I myself am guilty of sending way too many e-mails. Not sure if that means I “over communicate”, or just need to do more face-to-face communication or simply pick up the phone more.
Hours later and no hint of a flight, I decide to start tackling the process the pile of Annual Performance Evaluations needing to be done. I never realized how much time each one individually takes, until that day. This is likely because I had never done as many in a single sitting. I ended doing evaluations that day wondering when I’ll be sitting down with Jerry to go over my own Performance Evaluation.
Now late into the afternoon, I was beginning to wonder what the remainder of the shift had in store. The fixed wing team had taken an interfacility transport in the mid afternoon, and the ED was unusually slow for a holiday weekend. Although strange, it allowed me a lot of time to catch up on months of “filing” that I’d been putting off as well.
I called home a couple of times throughout the day, talking with Lynn and the boys about how their day was going. As usual, Alex’s first question each time I called was “had any flights yet Dad?” Now twelve hours into my shift, and after giving him the same response for the third time, he almost seemed disappointed when I shared with him that we’d not even had a standby request. It was on this call that he followed up by saying, “well…..what have you been doing all day Dad”? In spite of my best efforts, I don’t think he understood the short version of my day. He did however remind me on each call of the celebration of his 7th Birthday was the following day. On one call he even said, “Dad….you are going to be home tomorrow for my Birthday aren’t you”? Given Monday was Labor Day and my flight shift ended at 7:00 AM, I was confident in my response…”Of course Alex”!
Not long after that last phone call, the radio tones and pager went off for an interfacility transport from Grand River Medical Center (Rifle, CO) to St. Mary’s Hospital. A 35 year old male involved in a motorcycle vs. automobile accident, reportedly had a closed injury, multiple fractures and was intubated. Enroute to Rifle, again during my initial assessment of the patient in Rifle and also during the return trip to St. Mary’s, I pondered about the fact I’d rode my motorcycle to work that morning. I remember telling myself to be careful when going home later. After all it is a holiday weekend.
As with any other air medical transport, a narrative transport record needed to be done, a flight QA form completed, charges entered and signatures from my partner and the ED physician who oversaw the transport sought. Once completed, I helped out in the ED while the night shift staff could take their “lunch breaks”. Six years of working night shifts in the ED, one thing I remember vividly, you eat whenever you get a chance! Around midnight, the ED had caught up enough for me to step away. I checked in with the pilot and flight medic and made the decision to head home and cover the aircraft there for the remaining hours of my 24 hour shift. Given the close proximity of our home, responding after-hours is as quick as sleeping in-house. Ultimately, I was hoping to wake up at home on the morning of Alex’s birthday celebration. Well…..a good idea in theory, but at 1:30 AM, the tones and pager again went off for an interfacility transport to Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, CO. Given my previous patient’s involvement in a motorcycle vs. auto accident, the time of the AM (bar crowd on the roads), I opted to take the truck to the helipad instead of my motorcycle.
Arriving to VVH within an hour of the call, I was introduced to a 62 year old lady who had reportedly fallen in a local motel room, and found by her husband unresponsive. A CT of her head revealed a subarachnoid bleed, requiring further assessment and treatment by a Neurosurgeon. In spite of her diagnosis and the serious ness of it, she was relatively stable the entire flight back to SMH. After transitioning her care to the ED staff, the paperwork awaited my. By the time I completed the paperwork, it was nearly 5:00 AM. I again contemplated heading home for the remaining two hours, but also thought about having to return in two hours to turn the aircraft over to the on-coming flight nurse. So…..I decided to give the flight nurses sleep room a try and if anything, get another couple of hours of sleep. Well….yet another good idea in theory, however not one that would become reality. At 5:55 AM, the radio tones and pager went off for an immediate launch for a scene call near Bonanza, Utah. As I slipped my flight suit and boots on, I remember thinking, “where the heck is Bonanza, Utah”? As the flight medic (Brian) and I, met in the hall outside the sleep room, we both asked one another, “where the heck is Bonanza, UT”? We decided to call Air Com while enroute to the aircraft, to determine what and where we were responding to. The Communication Specialist (Lynda) stated all she’d been told was “a male patient hurt really bad”,……no mechanism of injury, no other patient info. She was still trying to get a latitude and longitude (GPS reading) from those on scene….but did report the pilot knew where Bonanza, UT was! Brian and I agreed as long as the pilot (John) knew where we were going, that’s what was really important. Given the distance to the scene, John opted to hot fuel at the Grand Junction Airport. This would assure roundtrip fuel, ultimately diminishing the need to divert for return fuel once we depart the scene with the patient.
Once enroute to the scene, John gave us a ballpark of where he suspected the scene was, in relation to Vernal, UT and Rangely, CO. Shortly thereafter, we received the GPS coordinates for the scene from Lynda in Air Com. Once the coordinates were placed into the aircrafts GPS, it was determined the scene was nearly 100 nautical miles northwest of Grand Junction. Additional patient information followed, although vague at best. It was relayed to us we had a lone male patient who had rear ended a tractor / trailer around 5:00 AM. He was still trapped in the vehicle and had several broken bones. Not a lot of info, but we knew the mechanism of injury, and that we had a lone patient.
We arrived at the remote scene shortly after 7:00 AM, doing our usual high and low aerial recon of the scene. Given what we were seeing from the air, I was sure I wasn’t going to like what I see once we get on the ground. I spotted a ground ambulance among several patrol cars, and other rescue vehicles. Chances were then good the patients care had been initiated. Once on the ground, we were directed to the ambulance that had 6 EMT’s tending to the patient.
My first impression of the patient was not good, nor was the report I received from the crew tending to him. When I asked the patient how he was doing…..he stated, “I can’t breathe!!” A secondary assessment revealed a suspected pneumothorax on the right, a distended and tender abdomen, as well as a right femur fracture. I made the decision to place a chest tube in the patient’s right chest prior to departure, given he looked like was minutes away from developing a tension pneumothorax. Pre procedural IV analgesia and sedation helped his breathing improve, ultimately allowing him to lay flat. Following the placement of the chest tube, we transitioned the patient to the helicopter and departed for St. Mary’s Hospital. A second IV line was secured enroute and additional IV analgesia and sedation given. Patient report was given 15 minutes out and a request for a Level I Trauma Activation was requested.
We arrived to SMH ED between 8:30 – 9:00 AM, where the Trauma Team was waiting. After the transitioning of care I began making the list of meds, syringes, needles, and other supplies necessary to get the aircraft back in service. It was during this time, I noted I had two missed calls on my cell phone……both from home between 7:00 AM and 8:30AM. Chances were good that Lynn and the boys heard us overfly the house on departure and/or return and were curious when I was coming home. The dreaded paperwork was now waiting for me to do. While doing this, I tried to call home, only to get no answer. Didn’t think of trying Lynn’s cellphone, assuming she and the boys were probably were in the yard.
I finished up the paperwork and headed home sometime after 11:00 AM. My next door neighbor made the comment from his driveway “Must be a quiet shift today if you are coming home for lunch!” Little did I know, the boys had already told him I was over 4 hours late getting home from my 24 hour shift. Alex met me at the front door and as expected asked, “How many flights did you have Dad”? Next question…..”What happened to the people”? Then…”Are they going to be alright”? He is so predictable during his post-flight interrogations that I was prepared with a response for each question. This is until he asked a question he’d NEVER asked before. Matter of factly, he asked “Why do you do what you do Dad”? Taken back by the seriousness of his question and given I couldn’t formulate a response that would make sense (to both of us mind you), I just said, “Let’s go open a few of your birthday present’s and I try and tell you why I think I do what I do”. As I reflected on the last 24+ hours, it became quite apparent why I do what I do. Now the trick was to figure out how to convey this to a 7 year old!!

A week in review: May 20th, 2007

2007-05-28T18:08:00.000-06:00

The week began with my return from the Bay Area of California where I had attended a required 4 day TNATC Course at Stanford University. I had limited internet access during this time and didn’t bother to check voice mails during that time. So I spent Sunday sifting through e-mails and making a list of voice mails as well as prioritizing my responses. After reviewing an e-mail thread and beginning to formulate a response, I realized I needed to make a call to Ms. Stacey Friedman to gather more information, clarify a few questions in an effort to make my response as factual as possible. After a nearly 1 hour conversation, I had what I felt I needed and responded accordingly to the other AAMS stakeholders.
The following day, the St. Mary’s CareFlight program began their two-day CAMTS Site Survey for reaccredidation. The Site Survey included two surveyors who reviewed the operations, education and policies of the CareFlight program from present, back through the previous three years. Although initially sought on a voluntary basis in 1998, CAMTS is now a requirement for air ambulance licensure in the states of Colorado and Utah. The out briefing at the conclusion of day two was positive in many respects, with six areas identified as “exceeding standards”. However that was quickly overshadowed by the surveyor’s observations of “opportunities for improvement” The final recommendation for “full accreditation” vs. “probationary accreditation” will be decided by the CAMTS Board of Director’s on June 23rd. CareFlight and Administrative staff unable to attend the out-briefing have been asking over and over; “how did we do?”
The following day, Wednesday May 23rd, the CareFlight Helicopter operation was slated to move out their existing hangar / helipad to the newly constructed “temporary” helipad just across 7th Street. Because of the pending CAMTS Site Survey, I had asked (actually begged) to delay this move until after the site survey was complete. Little did I know that it would be scheduled the very next day, but it beat the alternative at the time The day started out like something you’d see in a movie. Contractors ready to move us out, take possession of the hangar and begin the destruction process. However several items of concern were quickly identified by the CareFlight staff and I could compromise the safety of the CareFlight crews. I was “assured” by the Logistics Project Manager that they had handled everything, but this was clearly not the case. Since possession is 9/10th of the law, we weren’t vacating our existing operations and I sent all of the contractors away after some “gentle persuasion”. As I knew it would, these actions bought me a trip to the “principal’s office” aka St. Mary’s Administration for a meeting with the Construction Project Manager, Director of Facilities, and the Chief Operating Officer (Ms. Cherie Gorby). My VP, Jerry Spicer was coincidentally out of town, so was no additional help from above, as I attempted to defend my actions. Ms. Gorby reaffirmed as she’d done in her recent interview with the CAMTS Site Surveyors, her commitment to safety within the CareFlight program. She allowed us to remain as is until a “punch list” of items was developed, responsibility assigned and due dates noted for each item’s completion. This was all set into motion after the others were dismissed and Ms. Gorby had a “coming to Jesus meeting” with me about my “delivery”……..and a bit about the message” I conveyed to the contractor’s and Project Manager that AM. That experienced coupled with an hour and a half meeting that afternoon, made me think I’d relived an experience involving my mother and a bit of wrong doing back in the 6th grade. Much like this case, it was deserving but sure didn’t feel any better when it was all said and done. The day did come to an end around 9:00 PM, when we’d done all we could do on the punch list to again attempt a move the following day.
Thursday, May 24th……..we review the punch list and realize all items pertaining to a compromise of safety had been addressed. The movers began moving the contents of the hangar to the new location, while the helicopter based at the airport for the day. Although on-site fuel and a hangar are programmed to be placed at the new area of operation, we were asked to move with out these resources available. Given the construction of the hangar will not conclude for another 60-80 days, we had to get creative on what to store in the temporary steel connex building (looks like a railroad car w/o wheels) vs. the 24’x 48’double wide modular building we’ll be calling operations for the next 2.5 - 3 years. Did I mention this is necessary while the 12 story building is being constructed, where our existing helicopter operations was? Daily, I have to remind myself and other members of the CareFlight program that atop that new 12 story building is slated to be our permanent area for CareFlight operations (hangar helipad, parking pad, rooftop fueling, crew quarters, offices, etc.). Needless to say, by 8:00 PM that evening, the helicopter was given the go-ahead to return to the new helipad. The Patient Transport Vehicle (decommission ambulance) that was secured for movement of the patients from the new helipad to the ED was not going to be operational however. Staffing and stretcher issues remained in question, in part due to the Mesa Counties opposition to our use of such a vehicle beginning in early March. 10 days ago however, with some clarification and persuasion by the “powers that be”, the County finally agreed we are not going to be operating a ground ambulance without licensure after all.
Friday, May 25th, I was “greeted” by the off going CareFlight helicopter crew with a new punch list of suggestions they’d like resolved. Delegation of these suggestions quickly ensued to the on-coming CareFlight Helicopter crew, as I was required to address issues in the ED that had been mounting all week. Everything looked like an 11:30 AM departure from work for the week was in order.
I had a 12:38 PM flight from Grand Junction that would be the first of many legs were to take me to Roanoke, VA. I had been asked the prior week to attend the National EMS Memorial Service on behalf of AAMS, an event I had wondered about for many years. I arrived into Denver on-schedule only to find the plane slated to take me and others from Denver to Chicago was no where to be found. The plane had not yet arrived into Denver and a departure time of an hour and a half later meant I’d miss my connecting flight from Chicago to Roanoke. It was only at this time did I know that this was the LAST flight out of Chicago into Roanoke. Translation…..I’d be spending the night in Chicago and at the mercy of being placed on Standby for all Saturday flights from Chicago to Roanoke. Many others like myself flocked to the United Airlines Customer Service Center to look into options. While waiting in line for well over an hour, a United Airlines representative on the other end of my cell phone concluded our 30 minute call with advice to stay in line, because he couldn’t help!! Eventually it was my turn to approach the counter. I made it a point of remembering Ms. Gorby’s comments earlier in the week; “Dustin….it’s not always your message, it’s often your delivery you need to work on”. The only other option identified, was to switch to a U.S. Airways flight, scheduled to depart in 30 minutes from Denver to Charlotte, NC. I would have an hour layover before catching the last flight from Charlotte, NC to Roanoke, VA at 11:15 PM. Seemed like my bad day, bad week would have a happy ending after all. Boy was this far from the truth!
I switch concourses and arrived at the departing U.S. Airways gate around the scheduled time for boarding. I check-in at the counter and was given boarding passes confirming my seat on the next two flights. Sitting down hoping boarding would begin shortly; I noticed there was not an Airbus 320 at the end of the jet way for us to board. Actually, there was NO airplane at the end of the jet way at Gate C30. I asked the gate agent what was going on, only to find the incoming flight was a “bit delayed due to weather”. Translation……..it showed up an hour late and departed 1 ½ hours after its scheduled departure time. The entire three hour flight, I calculated and recalculated our ETA to Charlotte to determine what minimal layover time (if any) I would have. My flight from Charlotte to Roanoke was scheduled for “on-time departure of 9:58 PM” from what I was told prior to lift off from Denver. Fast forward three hours. The Denver to Charlotte flight arrives at the gate at 10:02 PM. The Captain of this flight assured us that since ¾ of passengers had connecting flights, they’d be holding those outbound flights for us. WRONG he was!! All passengers who missed their connecting flights from Charlotte were lined up in yet another Customer Service line. By 11:15 PM (when I was to be landing in Roanoke, VA mind you), I was up next at the front of the Customer Service line. I again remembered Ms. Gorby’s sermon to me just 2 days ago as I made my way to the counter. The customer service rep was VERY apologetic and told me she’d placed me on Standby for the first flight from Charlotte to Roanoke. The BAD NEWS was that this flight departed at 11:15 AM, and the only flight she could “confirm” would have me arriving into Roanoke 30 minutes prior to the start of the National EMS Memorial Service.
The Charlotte airport was filled with NASCAR fans in town for the Coca Cola 600. This was making getting motel rooms for the many stranded folks off my Denver flight a bit of a challenge. It was only at this time did I realize I really had no clue where I was in relation to Roanoke (or anywhere else for that matter). I asked the customer service rep how far Roanoke was from Charlotte in driving time. She stated about 3.5 hours. Two things were going through my mind by now; 1.) The cancellation policy at the Hotel Roanoke required 24 hours notice. So the first of two nights was going to be billed regardless of the circumstances. 2.) My “odds” of getting to Roanoke by plane were getting fractional with every decision I’d made thus far. So……Plan C will be……rent a car and drive to Roanoke tonight. Fast forward to midnight and I was assigned a Ford Taurus with a “navigational system” that the lady at Hertz assured would get me where I needed to go. Full tank of gas and a tall Starbucks Caramel Macchiato in hand I was off!! Departing the airport was uneventful, but I was amazed at the amount of traffic on I-77, I-85, and I-81. Unlike Colorado, the speed limits on the North Carolina and Virginia interstates varied between 65 and 70 MPH. By 1:00 AM, I stepped up the cruising speed to 75 MPH and dialed in the radio. The “navigational system” kept me company, with a female voice giving me periodic updates on my road trip and pending ETA. All things were pointing to a 2:45 AM arrival into Roanoke. As I approached Roanoke, I gave the navigational system lady my utmost attention so I knew where I was to exit I-81. All things were looking promising as the lights of Roanoke were right in my windshield. That was until the lights of a flashing Virginia State Patrolman were in my rear view mirror. As the officer approached, I tried to recall what I’d done to get pulled over this time. Rifling through the glove box of the rental car, I realized there was no registration for the Illinois license plates….but proof of insurance. As I handed this and my Colorado driver’s license to the guy, he told me he clocked me doing 72 mph (I’d slowed down a bit from 75!!)……….. in a 55 mph speed zone (more like “speed trap” I was thinking)! I’m guessing by the look on my face, he realized I was unaware of the speed limit change. Paying too close attention to the navigation system lady likely prevented me from the seeing the billboard size 55 mph sign he described just a mile or so back. He asked what I was doing driving an Illinois rental car in Virginia with a Colorado drivers license. Ms. Gorby’s lecture again came to mind as I calmly explained my travels of the day. He asked why I was going to such great lengths to reach Roanoke nearly 20 mph over the posted speed limit (I not kid you!) I shared I was attending the National EMS Memorial Service later that day (it was 3:00 AM by now). He asked…….”Are you EMS”? Trying not to pause and being mindful of my response and delivery, I said “Yes”. He paused for a few seconds (felt like an hour), handed me my license and Hertz Proof of Insurance Card back and said “When leaving Roanoke on Sunday, don’t be in as much of hurry as your arrival to Roanoke….have a good day”. I was way too tired to begin to comprehend what just happened, as I just wanted to find the Hotel Roanoke and get to bed. I checked in and was in bed by 3:45 AM!!! The next day around 11:00 AM I went to check in for the National EMS Memorial Service. However, the 75 year old volunteer had no record of my RSVP and asked “what’s AAMS” when I told her whom I was representing. I then made sure I was in the right line and mentioned Kevin Dillard’s name (Pres. of Board for the National EMS Memorial Service). This gave me the ounce of credibility necessary for her to make me a hand written name badge and give a run down of the day. She stated I was to attend the memorial service rehearsal at 1:00 PM and gave me directions to the First Baptist Church. I narrowly arrived on time due to unforeseen construction delays. I again checked in and was asked if I were an usher for one of the families of the 16 EMS staff being recognized. I didn’t know if this was a question of clarification or a question implying a need. So I simply stated, “I’d be honored to be an usher if needed.”
It was shortly after this that I was approached from behind by Ms. Stacey Friedman, sister of one of the 16 being recognized this evening. I had indicated to Ms. Friedman on our call earlier in the week (Sunday) that I’d be attending the service on behalf of AAMS. She introduced me to her mother Sandy Brian’s whom I’d never met. Stacey stated a step sister and sister in law were in attendance, but “not by their choosing”. She asked if others from AAMS would be in attendance. In an effort to lighten the seriousness of this conversation, I quickly stated, “Nope….you’ll have to settle on me!” I did not know the real meaning of that comment until the gentleman that checked me in asked Ms. Brian’s who her usher for the evening was. She stated she hadn’t been assigned one yet and then inquired if she had the ability to choose. YES…….you guessed it, I became the “chosen one” to usher the family of Erin Reed (mother, sister, step sister and sister in law) up to accept an American flag and bronze leaf medallion. It was at this point I inquired into what the “dress” was for the memorial service. I had brought both a suit and a CareFlight flight suit, since I’d forgot to clarify what the dress code was. When Ms. Brian’s heard me mention my flight suit to the gentleman appointing ushers, she quickly stated “he’ll be wearing his flight suit won’t he?” My question was quickly answered and the rehearsal began shortly thereafter.
I was invited to attend an afternoon social that included all of the families of the 16 being honored. In addition to visiting with Erin Reed’s family, I was introduced to the family of Stephen Smith (ALNW pilot), the 5 families involved in the Med Flight Air Ambulance Lear Jet crash in San Diego as well as Renee Johnson’s (Air Evac Services; Phoenix) parents and brother. Turned out 9 of the 16 being honored this year died in an air medical crash. The memorial service began promptly at 7:00 PM and lasted 2+ hours. It was quite a humbling experience to say the least. The keynote speaker was the publisher / editor of JEMS magazine. Singers, all with EMS backgrounds gave amazing performances. The service finished with the retiring of the colors, the playing of taps outside and a flight by from Lifeguard 10 from Carillion Medical Center. I’d estimate 300+ people in attendance. I was disappointed to see only 4 other representatives in attendance from the air medical community. A medic from Stat Medevac, a flight nurse from Carillion Lifeguard and a crew from Life Evac out of the D.C. area were all that I was aware of in attendance.
An evening reception followed the service and provided yet another opportunity to visit with families and those involved with putting on the annual memorial service. I was introduced to the widow and father of the medic who perished in the Spartanburg, SC crash in 2004 as well as the large family of the medic who died in the Life Evac crash over the Potomac River in 2004. Both of their loved ones had been recognized at the EMS Memorial Services in previous years. They and many other families of those lost in air medical crashes come to the EMS Memorial Service annually to give their respects to the families and pay tribute to those being recognized that year. At the conclusion of the reception, I was invited by several of the families, to a Sunday morning breakfast reception.
The Sunday morning program was well done and each and every family member of those being recognized was given the opportunity to speak of their loved one in front of the room of 80-100 people. I was again amazed at the stories of those being honored. One minute I would be laughing…….and the next minute I’d be crying. There was a common theme that surfaced from the families, the need to improve the safety of EMS…both ground and air. In addition to the family of Erin Reed, many other families discussed the various efforts they were pursuing to improve EMS safety. Some efforts were clearly collaborative and on a congressional level, whereas others were working on their own on more of a state level.
Later that day, I began my quest home by returning to the Roanoke Airport for what I hoped would be an uneventful journey home. My flight from Roanoke to Dulles was on-time arriving a short distance from my departing flight to Denver. I boarded the Boeing 777 with high hopes of catching a bit of sleep during the 3.5 hours flight to Denver. However, we were halted at the end of the taxi way due to weather. Seconds became minutes; minutes quickly added up to an hour of time waiting for weather to pass. I began to have flash backs of my Denver to Charlotte experience, again knowing the flight from Denver to Grand Junction was the last one of the night! Once airborne, I realized the pilots were making every effort to make up their lost time in spite of a 55 mph head wind. We arrived in Denver and I ran from Gate B25 to B69 with my two carry-on’s in tow. I arrived for my departing flight 5 minutes before they were to give my seat to a standby passenger. Arriving back to Grand Junction at 10:05 PM was a good feeling, but even better because my lovely wife and 2 boys greeted me outside the terminal. By 10:45 PM, the boys were tucked in and I was once again never so glad to be in bed following another long day.
I awoke today, Memorial Day and reflected upon my last week and realize as bad as it may seem, it doesn’t come close to the week many of our men and women in the United States Armed Forces have had and will continue to have. Like the 16 EMS providers honored at this year’s National EMS Memorial, thousands and thousands of troops have given the ultimate sacrifice for what they believed in.
Because each situation from the previous week ultimately resulted in a positive outcome, I’d venture to say I’d do it again if necessary. I’ll reflect on this rewarding week as I begin yet another week of uncertainly returning to work in the morning.

St. Mary's CareFlight Commercials

2007-05-14T20:04:00.001-06:00

The "premiere" of the minute long St. Mary's CareFlight Commercials (radio & TV) was this month. I was asked to be part of them last winter, telling the story of a transport involving an ATV accident victim.

Television Commercial