Ornge issues RFP for helicopter medical interiors
Ornge of Ontario, Canada, has announced that a Request for Proposal (RFP) has been issued for a permanent medical interior to be installed in its fleet of 10 AW139 helicopters.
Ornge of Ontario, Canada, has announced that a Request for Proposal (RFP) has been issued for a permanent medical interior to be installed in its fleet of 10 AW139 helicopters.
Dr Andrew McCallum, president and CEO of Ornge, said: “By outfitting our helicopters with an enhanced medical interior, we are honouring a commitment made to our frontline paramedics to ensure they have an optimal workspace, which will provide the best and safest possible environment for our patients.”
The company explained that its frontline and management staff worked to develop criteria for an improved AW139 helicopter interior before the RFP was put together. In particular, Ornge is seeking an interior that allows for a quicker, more efficient process of loading and unloading patients from hospitals or accident scenes. The firm said that in early 2012, its new leadership acted to address concerns brought forward by frontline paramedics about their ability to perform certain medical procedures effectively in the AW139 interior. Since February 2013, Ornge has been using a Transport Canada-approved interim interior in its AW139 aircraft that allows for CPR to be performed during all phases of flight if necessary for the patient, as well as other medical procedures.
Upon completion of the competitive RFP process, the successful vendor will design and build the permanent interior, which will undergo extensive testing before it is installed in the full fleet. It is expected this process will take approximately 24 months.