New helicopter medical team focuses on industrial accidents on Vancouver Island
A new helicopter team that provides advanced medical care has launched on northern Vancouver Island.
Technical Evacuation Advanced Aero Medical, or TEAAM, got its start in Squamish, B.C., and opened its fourth location in Campbell River, B.C., on Wednesday.
What's different about TEEAM compared to other search and rescue options is that it focuses on industrial incidents, and provides advanced medical in the field instead of simply transporting patients.
The non-profit group is funded by companies and organizations that pay subscription fees based on the number of employees they have.
"Primarily the logging [industry]. There’s a few fishing outfits that are interested and different pieces of industry," said TEAAM base manager Dave Hutton.
"Each day we kind of get somebody else who’s interested in being a member with us," he said. "As it grows I think we will have more different industries as well."
The TEAAM helicopter is seen in Campbell River, B.C. (CTV News)
'NEED FOR THIS IN OUR COMMUNITY'
TEAAM will be able to fly to some of the most remote locations on northern Vancouver Island to attend industrial accidents and medical situations.
Its team members are volunteers who are on standby and who are paid if a rescue mission is called in.
"Nurses, firefighters, search and rescue technicians, we have a couple military SAR Techs (Search and Rescue Technicians), a couple of doctors in town and one doctor out of Nanaimo," said Hutton.
Jennifer Lorenzetto is a nurse and one of TEAAM's newest team members on Vancouver Island.
"To be able to deliver care faster with such a diverse group of people is great, so when I found out about it, it was definitely something I wanted to be a part of," she said.
The critical care nurse has worked in Campbell River for the past 11 years and is looking forward to helping out in remote locations.
"I think everybody who is part of team just really sees the need for this in our community. It’s heartbreaking when something goes terribly wrong, so that’s why we’re here," she said.
Now that the group is fully up and running, the team is waiting for its first official tasking.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.