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EDMONTON ¨C Canada¡¯s first mobile flight simulation trailer will be integrated into Â鶹ӳ»­ Emergency Medical Services (AHS EMS) air ambulance training later this year.

The flight simulation trailer includes the fuselage of a King Air 200 aircraft that¡¯s on hydraulics to simulate take-off and landing. The simulator enhances existing training and provides trainees with high-fidelity, hands-on learning with placement of supplies and equipment, and delivering patient care within an air ambulance aircraft. 

¡°We¡¯re committed to ensuring all Â鶹ӳ»­ns have access to high-quality air ambulance care,¡± says EMS Chief Paramedic Darren Sandbeck. ¡°Simulation training enables learners to practise and master individual and team skills. Rehearsal is one of the best methods of learning, and it¡¯s a benefit to our patients to have well-rehearsed teams delivering care.¡± 

The flight simulation trailer is based at Edmonton International Airport and will travel across Â鶹ӳ»­ to train EMS air ambulance paramedics, as well as partners in ground ambulance, hospital-based teams, post-secondary institutions, and other healthcare professionals.

There are 10 air ambulance bases and about 225 AHS air ambulance paramedics across the province.

A fully-equipped King Air 200, which replicates Â鶹ӳ»­¡¯s fixed-wing air ambulances, was donated by Lakeland College and the simulator¡¯s design was developed by the Learning and Development team of AHS EMS through collaboration with AHS air ambulance and AHS partners.

¡°There weren¡¯t any other examples of mobile simulation units that use an actual aircraft fuselage, so it was up to our team to determine how to make it work,¡± says Brent Thorkelson, EMS Staff Development Officer and project lead. ¡°Fitting an aircraft with simulation equipment into a trailer and making it mobile was a unique process. The success of this project can be attributed to the talent of the dedicated people who put our imagination into reality.¡±

The $739,000 project was funded by a Government of Â鶹ӳ»­ grant, and donations include a new, fully-functional LifePort bed, an Alere EPOC blood analysis system and video laryngoscope parts from Karl Storz Endoscopy.

Â鶹ӳ»­ is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Â鶹ӳ»­. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Â鶹ӳ»­ns.

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