Published air rescue reports detailing emergency rescue operations
Improving Air Rescue Services in Baden-Württemberg
The Ministry of the Interior in Baden-Württemberg is set to reorganize air rescue services in the region, aiming to enhance emergency medical care. The plan, prepared by the Institute for Emergency Medicine and Medical Management of the Klinikum of the University of Munich, aims to establish ten air rescue locations, ensuring that any place in the state can be reached by helicopter within 20 minutes during daytime hours.
The recommendations propose the addition of a new air rescue base in Lahr, which will be operated by DRF Luftrettung and is scheduled to begin operations in 2026. This move, along with the stationing of an additional helicopter in Osterburken and Lahr, aims to close gaps in coverage.
Three existing locations will be moved: Christoph 54 from Freiburg to the southeast, Christoph 41 from Leonberg to the south, and Christoph 45 from Friedrichshafen to the north. Meanwhile, at certain locations, one helicopter will remain stationed without change, including Mannheim (Christoph 53), Villingen-Schwenningen (Christoph 11), Ulm (Christoph 22), and Karlsruhe (Christoph 43).
The report suggests that ten helicopters will be deployed during the day instead of the current eight. However, nighttime air rescue missions face challenges due to weather and lighting conditions, making them more dependent on these factors compared to ground-based services.
Emergency rescue during nighttime is primarily ensured by ground-based emergency services, with air rescue playing a supplementary role. Additional preparation is required for nighttime air rescue missions, both from the crew and on the ground, to ensure flight safety.
Helicopters are particularly useful when a doctor must be present at the scene of an emergency quickly. The time advantage that can be achieved by air rescue during the day is lesser or non-existent at night. Despite this, helicopters are still advantageous for non-deferrable patient transfers to a maximum care hospital, with illuminated landing sites there facilitating quick transfers.
The Institute for Emergency Medicine and Medical Management at the University of Munich conducted a structural and demand analysis of air rescue in Baden-Württemberg. The state secretary in the Ministry of the Interior, Wilfried Klenk, stated that the goal is to improve emergency medical care in Baden-Württemberg. The Ministry will decide with health insurance companies on specific location questions and operating times based on the report's recommendations.
The External: Institute for Emergency Medicine and Medical Management presented their report in Bruchsal. The implementation of these changes will take two to five years per location.
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