After the fire in Crans-Montana, eight Rega helicopters and its three ambulance jets were in operation. Why?

Our ambulance jets can be key in providing patients in a critical condition with rapid assistance and transferring them to another hospital. Many of our patrons associate the jets with repatriating patients from abroad. But Crans-Montana was an impressive example of how our jets can also perform priceless services within Switzerland or Europe.

Which role did the jets play?

In the first stage, the ambulances and rescue helicopters, including those of Rega, took the injured persons as quickly as possible to the hospital in Sion or to other hospitals further away. Owing to the large number of injured persons, the hospital in Sion soon reached its limit. And beds were needed for the other injured persons who continued to arrive. The patients who had received initial treatment had to be transferred as quickly as possible to specialised Swiss hospitals. This was where our ambulance jets helped out, in addition to the rescue helicopters. The three Rega jets flew to Valais a total of five times. In the third stage, we transferred many of the burn victims in the jets from Switzerland to other countries.

How quickly were the jets ready?

Everything went very fast. In under an hour after the decision was taken, the first jet crew was ready. The entire organisation shifted to “large-scale mission” mode. We were in continuous operation for three days. People with serious burn injuries need frequent, individual care by a flight physician and an intensive care specialist. To ensure that we were able to cope with the higher demands in terms of medical treatment compared with “normal operations”, some employees moved their days off in order to help.

Crans-Montana was a large-scale incident with unusual requirements. Who coordinated the jet missions?

The first coordination was handled by our Operations Center. During the night of New Year’s Eve, our flight coordinators asked hospitals in Switzerland and abroad about their capacity. So we knew which hospital had what number of available beds. That helped in planning the transfer flights. In a second stage, the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP) and the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) took over the coordination. The ERCC keeps track of free treatment capacity throughout Europe and allocates patients to the available hospitals. Later on, some patients were moved back to Switzerland from hospitals abroad. Rega flew these missions on behalf of the FOCP. Then, the federal government tasked us with coordinating these repatriations, as soon as treatment capacity in Switzerland was available.

Large-scale incidents are exceptional. Often, it takes time to understand what has happened and what is required for the rescue. Who decides in such situations about the responsibilities and resources?

In Switzerland, it’s the cantons that are initially responsible. That’s why the canton handles the mission in a large-scale incident. In Valais, this fell to the cantonal rescue organisation. With incidents on a national level, the FOCP and the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) are in charge. These are the formal responsibilities. But Rega does not know cantonal borders, and we help wherever we are needed. We are a provider of basic medical assistance – for the whole of Switzerland.

Many different organisations were involved throughout the mission. How did the cooperation work?

It was exemplary. From the fire brigade and rescue services, through the hospitals to the airfield and air-traffic control teams, everyone worked hand in hand. The international partners provided magnificent support too. The entire collaboration was very professional and uncomplicated.

During the incident you flew jet missions yourself. Were there any moments that moved you in particular?

Yes, especially meeting the family members. If you are in a jet with a father or mother for a lengthy period who are accompanying their seriously injured child, you get to see their emotions up close. I found this very moving, especially as I have children of similar ages.

What did Rega take away from this mission?

The large-scale incident in Crans-Montana showed that we in Switzerland can rely on the professional collaboration with all rescue organisations and that they perform to a very high level. And: the Rega jet is not only a tool to be used abroad but is also an integral part of emergency medical assistance – within Switzerland too. It became clear how important it is to deploy all the available resources in a meaningful way.