In this episode we will examine the true story of the tragic death of a Search and Rescue medic Dave VanBuskirk. On the evening of the 22nd of July, 2013 Dave fell approximately 200 ft to his death whilst on a winching mission to save another person at Mt Charleston in the Las Vegas region of the US. To tell the story I interview SAR pilot Dave Callan.

Dave Callen is a retired Sergeant from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. He spent most of his career in the Air Support unit, where he flew patrol, search and rescue, surveillance, short haul/long line and tactical missions. Dave is certified as a rescue pilot a variety of airframes and holds an airplane and helicopter instrument rating with over 4,000 hours of flying experience. Dave unpacks the incident back in 2013, its wide-ranging impacts on the wider team and some of the lasting lessons learnt from the tragedy.

In the episode we examine:

The anatomy of the Las Vegas Police Police Dept – The service Dave VanBuskirk was flying in.
What regular operations would look like and the span of area covered by the service.
Who Dave VanBuskirk was as a person and professional.
The immediate impacts of the death on Dave Callen and the wider team.
Dynamic rollout – what it is, why lips on winch hooks can pose a risk.
The risk mitigation strategies Dave has taken from the incident
Dave VanBuskirk’s principle of getting a little bit better everyday and commitment to excellence.
Safety audits – the principles and lessons learnt.
Final thoughts and take-home messages.

To learn more about Dave VanBuskirk, see here: https://sr3rescueconcepts.com/about

To learn more about SR3 Rescue Concepts please see here: https://sr3rescueconcepts.com/

This podcast is brought to you in association with BHA Medical.

https://bha-medical.com/about-us/

BHA medical source, supply and implement innovative medical technology and solutions across the globe. BHA provide market leading services in covid 19 testing kits, medical products, smart technology and consultancy. There most recent product is the Vitalstream:

https://bha-medical.com/medical-products/vitalstream/

The Vitalstream is the world’s most innovative wireless non-invasive patient monitor, using a simple disposable finger cuff to measure Continuous Beat-by-Beat Blood Pressure “CNIBP,” Heart Rate, Respiration Rate, and other physiological parameters. This unique technology enables safe, secure, and accurate patient monitoring from virtually anywhere, including remote patient monitoring from a secure cloud portal. This solution provides real time data, enabling healthcare staff to provide early intervention and rapid response to a patient’s changing health conditions. Using a low-cost, disposable finger cuff, the VitalStream patented Pulse Decomposition Analysis (“PDA”) algorithms process the arterial pulse waveform to derive CNIBP, Heart Rate, Respiration Rate, and other hemodynamic parameters.

Please also check out further devices and services offered by BHA medical here:

https://bha-medical.com

I hope you enjoy this episode with an insightful and engaging guest.

Billie Eilish Almost Didn't Put This Hit Track on 'Hit Me Hard and Soft'