LifeNet Helicopter Emergency Medical Services

[Thunderknight]

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Advanced Response Team (DHART) | Dartmouth-Hitchcock covers North eastern parts of the state

According to their map, the very eastern edge of the Adks are in their service area (although apparently not their low level IFR routes) but they don't show towards the central Adks.
Air Service Area Map | DHART | Dartmouth-Hitchcock

I think the answer to my original question is North Country LifeFlight/NYSP, but their dispatch channel is unknown.

 

[DaveNF2G]

I'm thinking that whoever it is would need a dispatch transmitter in Plattsburgh or Burlington. They could also do their dispatching via commercial digital paging.

 

[KC2zZe]

Gentlemen,

The activity that initially prompted my interest to reexamine LifeNet of New York, my rummaging through old records and your hyperlinks, and your valuable discussions above, has borne fruit.

I offer to you the latest version of my notes compiling the towers that LifeNet uses (and those that their assets access) in New York, organized alphabetically as follows:

City, County
Frequency (CTCSS or DCS)
Use (Primary, and secondaries, if known)

and ask that you all please look over the list to verify (preferably from direct monitoring/knowledge) that the frequencies and tones shown are correct and accurate.

Albany, Albany
155.2350 (D245)
AirCom/MedEvacs at Albany area trauma centers

Dexter, Jefferson
451.5250 (D743)
Dispatch of LifeNet 7-10

Glen, Montgomery
155.2650 (D743)
Dispatch of LifeNet 7-2

Harris, Sullivan
465.8875 (D343) MedEvacs
460.8875 (D343) AirCom
Dispatch of LifeNet 7-5

Hornell, Steuben
152.3525 (127.3) [or 151.5125 (162.2) ?]
Dispatch of LifeNet 7-7

Plattsburgh, Clinton
451.5250 ( tone ? )
AirCom/MedEvacs at Plattsburgh area trauma centers

Potsdam, Saint Lawrence
451.5250 (D723)
Dispatch of LifeNet 7-9

Sayre, Bradford, PA
453.9000 (110.9)
Guthrie Air

Seneca Falls, Seneca
451.5250 (D654)
Dispatch of LifeNet 7-12

Sidney, Delaware
462.9625 (103.5)
Dispatch of LifeNet 7-8

Selkirk, Albany (South Albany Airport)
155.2350 (D432)
Dispatch of LifeNet 7-1

Suffern, Rockland
468.1500 (151.4)
MedEvacs-to-Good Samaritan Hospital
463.1500 (151.4)
Good Samaritan Hospital-to-MedEvacs

Syracuse, Onondaga
451.5250 (D731)
AirCom/MedEvacs at Syracuse area trauma centers

Valhalla, Westchester
468.0000 (179.9)
Primary: MedEvacs-to-Westchester Medical Center ED
Secondary: MedEvacs to AirCom
463.0000 (179.9)
Primary: Westchester Medical Center ED-to-MedEvacs
Secondary: MedEvacs to AirCom; 60-Control dispatch of Grasslands EMS

Wallkill, Ulster (Kobelt Airport)
451.5250 (D143)
Dispatch of LifeNet Air 2

 

[KC2zZe]

I thank you for your feedback so far regarding my compilation. A very generous suggestion/clarification was sent via PM.

Please adjust the Valhalla entry and delete the reference to Suffern above, as AirCom is not capable of Good Sam's helipad channel.

There are certain hospitals in LifeNet's service area that are regular destinations for the delivery of trauma patients requiring Level I (the highest) care. Others (what I'll call feeder hospitals) regularly receive trauma patients but are Level IV (lowest), III, or II trauma centers. They will perform initial stabilization of a trauma patient (to the best of their abilities) and, if necesary, will then forward them to a higher level center - sometimes by ground ambulance, and sometimes by air ambulance, as the patient's condition dictates. As was pointed out to me, one such case is Good Samaritan in Suffern. Therefore, I am starting the development of a separate list of medical centers (again in alphabetical order) with their own channels, that are in our listening area, that LifeNet helicopters will regularly move patients to or from. These channels are in addition to the standard H.E.A.R. frequencies (155.3400, 155.4000, etc.) that are also available in the helicopters

Danbury Hospital (Level II), CT
464.9250R (192.8)

Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center (Level IV), Suffern, NY
463.1500 (151.4) base
468.1500 (151.4) medevac

Westchester Medical Center (Level I), Valhalla, NY [Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, a Level I - Pediatric center, is co-located on this campus]
463.0000 (179.9) base
468.0000 (179.9) medevac

Yale - New Haven Hospital (Level I), CT
462.4500R ( ? )

 

[DaveNF2G]

Guthrie no longer operates as such. I can't remember which identifier they use now.

 

[cg]

The Connecticut Hospitals use the CMED system and the patient information is relayed to the emergency room via that system. However, the pilot communicates to the security department at many of the hospitals to ensure the pad is clear and secure. There is getting to be an issue at a number of facilities with more changing to digital radios that the Technisonic aircraft radios cannot talk on.

Almost all of the programs in the Northeast belong to the Northeast Air Alliance. This program allows voice flight following, coordination of resources, etc. They expanded into NY several years ago to include LifeNet and now Sky Health on LI is a member.
North East Air Alliance - NEAA

chris

 

[rbm]

Guthrie no longer operates as such. I can't remember which identifier they use now.

I still hear units identifying as 'Guthrie Air' on 458.900 (PLL 100)
I have some recent audio logs but they're distant, weak, and noisy on that frequency.

They're stronger as they approach the local hospitals and use Hosp-1 (155.340)
They also coordinate with the BGM tower from time to time.

Rich

Edit: You can see the RSSI is pretty weak from the logs.
Event, Date, Time, Duration, RelativeTime, Radio Info
======, ==========, ============, ==========, ============, ==========
000255, 2016/06/19, 02:36:57.702, 000012.519, 00:15:22.547, ScanBroomeCounty, EMS , GuthrieAir , 458.9000MHz , C100.0 , 162
000256, 2016/06/19, 02:37:10.705, 000001.134, 00:15:35.067, ScanBroomeCounty, EMS , GuthrieAir , 458.9000MHz , C100.0 , 128
000257, 2016/06/19, 02:37:13.947, 000005.167, 00:15:36.202, ScanBroomeCounty, EMS , GuthrieAir , 458.9000MHz , C100.0 , 154
000258, 2016/06/19, 02:37:19.701, 000002.207, 00:15:41.369, ScanBroomeCounty, EMS , GuthrieAir , 458.9000MHz , C100.0 , 154
000259, 2016/06/19, 02:37:22.323, 000001.686, 00:15:43.576, ScanBroomeCounty, EMS , GuthrieAir , 458.9000MHz , C100.0 , 145
000261, 2016/06/19, 02:37:31.262, 000006.450, 00:15:45.852, ScanBroomeCounty, EMS , GuthrieAir , 458.9000MHz , C100.0 , 167
000262, 2016/06/19, 02:37:38.747, 000004.351, 00:15:52.303, ScanBroomeCounty, EMS , GuthrieAir , 458.9000MHz , C100.0 , 134
000263, 2016/06/19, 02:37:43.166, 000002.922, 00:15:56.655, ScanBroomeCounty, EMS , GuthrieAir , 458.9000MHz , C100.0 , 158
000264, 2016/06/19, 02:37:46.268, 000006.377, 00:15:59.577, ScanBroomeCounty, EMS , GuthrieAir , 458.9000MHz , C100.0 , 151
000266, 2016/06/19, 02:38:25.145, 000007.755, 00:16:16.250, ScanBroomeCounty, EMS , GuthrieAir , 458.9000MHz , C100.0 , 166
000267, 2016/06/19, 02:38:34.290, 000001.143, 00:16:24.006, ScanBroomeCounty, EMS , GuthrieAir , 458.9000MHz , C100.0 , 167
000269, 2016/06/19, 02:38:56.187, 000006.732, 00:16:30.211, ScanBroomeCounty, EMS , GuthrieAir , 458.9000MHz , C100.0 , 134

 

[DaveNF2G]

Interesting. They put out an announcement a few years ago that they were joining another aeromed company. I just checked the Robert Packer Hospital website and they still show a photo of Guthrie One (with blue striping - last time I saw one it was green), so evidently either they changed their minds or it made no operational difference.

I sit corrected.

 

[rbm]

Interesting. They put out an announcement a few years ago that they were joining another aeromed company. I just checked the Robert Packer Hospital website and they still show a photo of Guthrie One (with blue striping - last time I saw one it was green), so evidently either they changed their minds or it made no operational difference.

I sit corrected.

I also used to think that they were terminated.
Then I noticed they were still using the Guthrie Air identifier on the radio.

Apparently, they're somehow connected with LifeNet: ( "LifeNet of New York / Guthrie Air")

"We currently operate 9 bases in New York and 1 in Pennsylvania at the following locations: Albany, Glen, Wallkill, Harris, Hornell, Sidney, Dexter, Potsdam, Seneca Falls, and Sayre."

That one in Pennsylvania is Robert Packer in Sayre, PA.
Life Net of New York Coverage Map

Rich



Edit: From the GuthrieAir facebook page last week:

 

[radionerd13669]

NYSP has a bird with paramedics based at Adirondack Regional Airport in Lake Clear which is midway between Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake. It's not always available due to SP obligations.

LifeNet 7-9 is based in Potsdam which can easily reach Lake Placid. 7-10 is in Dexter at Watertown International Airport which can pretty well serve areas west of Tupper Lake.

I'm in the very southern ADK and we usually get 7-2 or 7-1 or the SP bird out of Colonie.

I'm not sure who covers the very northeast of the state. Maybe a bird out of the trauma center in Burlington VT.

Sorry for the late response .
7-9 Is a fixed wing located in Potsdam how ever currently relocated to Massena due to airport work.7-9 Mostly does interfacility transports. 7-10 out of Watertown covers SLC for helicopter request 95% of the time unless the fixed wing can get to the local airport. NYSP 1H9 flies out of ADK airport. They use NYSP Freqs.
Once in the air all aircraft switch to SLC repeaters for communication with dispatch and local units. Air Methods also uses their freqs for dispatch communications in the local area.
Air Methods operates the clearing house for dispatching aircraft in the central and northern ny area.

 

[rbm]

Heard on 458.900 Mhz tonight......

LifeNet 7-12 enroute to Albany from Wilson Hospital in Binghamton, talking to Guthrie Tower in Sayre, PA.

I'd upload the audio clip but it exceeds the max size for zip files.

Rich

Edit:
Uploaded to zippyshare.com here:
http://www12.zippyshare.com/v/BE70tsf8/file.html

 

[rbm]

I should have mentioned this before.

I've found that many of the helicopters from other areas that communicate with Robert Packer LifeNet/GuthrieAir tower use NO PL on the GuthrieAir Frequency. So, if you only program frequencies with PL, you could be missing a lot.

I don't know if that holds true for other towers in the LifeNet system but it's a good idea to also program the frequencies with no PL as well.

If you don't have other users on those frequencies, you may be able to hear Medevac coms that you wouldn't hear otherwise.

The audio file in my post above of LifeNet 7-12 (out of Seneca Falls) leaving Wilson Hospital in Binghamton, going to Albany, and talking to the GuthrieAir tower in Sayre, PA was exactly that kind of situation. (458.900 with no PL)

Rich

 

[KC2zZe]

rbm, does AirCom answer the helicopters on 453.9000 or 458.9000 and with what tone, if any?

 

[rbm]

rbm, does AirCom answer the helicopters on 453.9000 or 458.9000 and with what tone, if any?

GuthrieAir tower talks back to the helicopters on 453.900 (PL 100).
The helicopters are on the input frequency of 458.900.

But I'm around 50 miles from the Sayre, PA tower so 453.900 just barely 'scratches the surface' here.

Many times, the helicopters fly directly over my house. And they're VERY strong on 458.900.

By the way, LifeNet 7-8 flies over here often as well. On their own frequencies.

Guthrie is to the West of me, LifeNet 7-8 out of Sidney is to the East.
They both frequently fly into the Binghamton hospitals to the South of me.

Rich

 

[jmv3085]

New helicopter

Something else to keep in mind while your looking around is there will be a helicopter based out of Moses Ludington in Ticonderoga, in the very near future if its not already there.