ADEL, Iowa — Paramedics, EMTs and first responders from across Dallas County gathered at the Human Services Campus north of Adel Thursday night in order to review the rules and inspect the equipment of the Mercy One Air Med helicopters.
About 50 volunteer first responders and Dallas County EMS staff members gathered for the 7 p.m. meeting, with the first 45 minutes devoted to a Powerpoint presentation about the extensive features of the flying ambulances.
Mercy One Paramedic Brad Vancil explained the medical capabilities of the helicopters, and Paramedic Hannah Walter Davis outlined their air-transporting powers.
The second half of the meeting was spent inspecting one of the Bell 429 helicopters in the Mercy One fleet, which touched down on the front lawn of the old county home as the sun was setting.
With two of the high-performance helicopters based in the Des Moines metro, a third in Mason City and a fourth in Sioux City, the Mercy One Air Med units work with local fire and police departments all around Iowa and in surrounding states.
A highly informative article on the Mercy One Air Med team by Skip Robinson was published in 2019 in “Vertical” magazine.
