EHS LifeFlight Services

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EHS LifeFlight is a vital component of emergency medical services; providing critical care to the people of Nova Scotia and beyond.

EHS LifeFlight supports communities with specialized critical care teams that can be deployed to treat and transport high acuity, ill and injured patients. Often, these patients require treatment from specialists located at the QEII Health Sciences Centre, IWK Health Centre or regional hospitals.

EHS LifeFlight brings a specialty team directly to the patient; dramatically increasing the speed at which the patient begins receiving critical care. Additionally, our service supports both hospitals and ground ambulance paramedic teams in managing patients with time-dependent injuries.

Our ability to transport patients via air can decrease patient transport times to definitive care.

Mission Statement

To provide critical care to ill and injured patients, immediate clinical expertise, decision-making support and safe, timely transport via rotor wing, fixed wing or ground ambulances.

Transport Options

The EHS LifeFlight program uses a consistent approach when considering each request to ensure the most appropriate mode of transportation is utilized, taking into account factors such as patient acuity, location and time of day.

EHS LifeFlight has three transport vehicle options available for response:

  • Helicopter (2) (Sikorsky S-76C+) – operated by Canadian Helicopters Limited
  • Airplane (King Air 200) – operated by PAL Aerospace Limited
  • Ground Ambulances

Missions

EHS LifeFlight completes both interfacility and scene missions using all of our response vehicles.

Our airplane and helicopters can land at the closest airport to a community. The helicopters can also land at designated helipads at hospitals or at nearby community sponsored helipads. Support and emergency personnel throughout Nova Scotia have been trained to assist in landing the EHS LifeFlight helicopters at or near the scene of an emergency.

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Patient Triage

On occasion, more than one request for EHS LifeFlight services may occur simultaneously.  When this occurs patients are triaged for the highest priority patients first.

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Weather Considerations

EHS LifeFlight operates in all weather conditions. Severe and changing weather can affect flight safety.  As a result, EHS LifeFlight’s experienced pilots make the decision to fly based solely on their ability to do so safely. In the event our aircraft cannot fly due to weather, our critical care crew respond using ground transportation.

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Crew Locations

The EHS LifeFlight adult critical care team and aviation crews are stationed at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.  The obstetric, neonatal and pediatric critical care teams are stationed at the IWK Health Centre.