Latest news with #HEMS
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Woman and three boys die in Brent house fire
A 43-year-old woman and three boys, aged 15, eight and four, have been killed in a house fire in Brent, north-west London. The emergency services were called to the blaze in Tillett Close, Stonebridge, at about 01:20 BST. A 41-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and remains in custody, the Met Police said. A further two people were taken to hospital, the Met said. Their conditions have not been disclosed. Two terraced three-storey homes were involved in the fire, which was brought under control by about 03:25, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said. Eight fire engines and about 70 firefighters from stations across Wembley, Park Royal and Willesden were sent out to tackle the blaze. "A woman and a child were rescued from the second floor of one property by crews wearing breathing apparatus and received immediate emergency care," the LFB said. "Both were sadly declared deceased at the scene by a Helicopter Emergency Services (HEMS) team. "Two more children were discovered inside the property as crews carried out firefighting operations and were declared deceased at the scene." Supt Steve Allen, from the Met's local policing team in north-west London, said: "This is an extremely tragic incident and our thoughts are with everyone involved... we continue to work alongside investigators from the London Fire Brigade to establish the cause of the fire." Emergency services will remain in Tillett Close throughout the day as inquiries continue, the Met added. Leader of Brent Council Muhammed Butt said in a statement: "Our deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those who lost their lives in this horrific incident. "The council has set up a rest centre nearby and a dedicated team has been looking after families who needed to be evacuated. We will continue to support those affected. "We are working closely with the London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police as they conduct their investigations into the cause of the fire, and will continue to offer them our full support and assistance." Dawn Butler, MP for Brent East, posted on X that she was "devastated to see the fatal fire" and her prayers were with the family and friends affected.
Irish Examiner
22-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Air ambulance operator flags safety issues following changes to staffing levels
Serious flight safety risks emerged on one of the State's air ambulances after the National Ambulance Service made changes to the medical crewing model on the aircraft. The changes, which included cutting the number of paramedics on board the Cork-based Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) from two to just one on certain shifts, led to a 'marked deterioration' in how the medical staff performed certain aviation tasks they were trained to do while as part of a crew of two rostered on the aircraft, the company which operates the life-saving service said. A senior official with Gulf Med Aviation Services, which operates the service under contract to the ambulance service, was so concerned about the issues that he wrote to the ambulance service in February to say he had seen "workflow and cognitive errors" in the aviation-focused tasks paramedics need to perform safely while working as part of the helicopter crew, based at Rathcoole, near Millstreet. The correspondence, which has been seen by the Irish Examiner, included a warning that the 'low levels of motivation, concentration, and attention to the task' that appear to have resulted from the recent medical crew changes was 'evident and impactful'. The Gulf Med executive said paramedics had been trained to work in the challenging HEMS environment as part of a team of two medics on the aircraft, but that they were often being rostered to work a HEMS shift on their own. 'The risks involved in such a change are self-evident,' the National Ambulance Service was told. The Gulf Med executive also warned that a paramedic returning from a significant period away from the HEMS unit is often required to mount a HEMS mission within minutes of arriving at the base. This is not a safe practice. The ambulance service was asked for an immediate intervention to address the issues, with a request for a reduction in the disruption and changes that were clearly affecting 'the motivation, concentration, and attention to detail that is necessary to remain safe'. It was told that like most safety-critical activities, all that has to happen for a serious incident or an accident to occur, is for the people involved to do nothing. Gulf Med Aviation Services did not respond to requests to comment. In response to queries from the Irish Examiner, the HSE and National Ambulance Service insisted that the Cork-based air ambulance service is safe, and there are no outstanding issues. 'Currently the HSE and Gulf Med Aviation Services are satisfied that services are safe and working effectively. The crewing model for the HSE's HEMS is safe for patients and staff,' a spokesperson said. Read More Millennial medics share their prescriptions for good health and wellbeing
Irish Examiner
22-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Company outlines how reduction of paramedics in air ambulance service poses safety risks
The company which provides a life-saving air ambulance service for the State raised serious concerns about flight safety risks after the HSE's National Ambulance Service (NAS) introduced changes to the medical crewing model on the aircraft. The crew changes included rostering just one paramedic to work some of the shifts on the aircraft, which operates from a base near Millstreet, in Cork, to covering the south west and beyond. In an explosive email, a senior official in Gulf Med Aviation Services (GMAS), which provides the aircraft and pilots for the service under contract to the NAS, said since the changes: he had seen a marked deterioration in how the medical staff on board the helicopter perform their aviation tasks while tasked to work shifts on the helicopter; he had seen "workflow and cognitive errors" in the aviation-focused tasks the medical crew need to perform safely as part of the helicopter crew; and how the 'low levels of motivation, concentration, and attention to the task' that appear to have resulted from the recent medical crew changes is 'evident and impactful'. Malta-based GMAS went so far as to formally ask NAS officials for 'an intervention at the earliest opportunity' to address the issues, which were flagged in February. The HSE has insisted, however, that the helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) is safe and working effectively, that the crewing model is safe for both patients and crew, and that there are no outstanding matters of concern in relation to the contract. The revelation comes just weeks after the Irish Examiner reported how the HEMS covering the south was at risk of being grounded in a row over NAS moves to cut the number of paramedics rostered to work on the aircraft from two to just one. Farm safety minister Michael Healy-Rae described any such move as 'reckless'. The crewing changes were being advanced despite internal reports warning HSE and NAS management that a solo paramedic crewing model poses a risk to patients, to the paramedics and pilots, and poses a flight safety risk. The Irish Examiner reported last March how one internal report warned that if the NAS couldn't provide two paramedics for each of the HEMS aircraft, then the service should be stood down on those days. The HEMS is currently operating several shifts with just one medical crew member on board. The National Ambulance Service provides two dedicated HEMS responses in Ireland - one based in Cork, operated by GMAS, and the other in Athlone operated by the Air Corps - with medical staff on both aircraft supplied by the NAS. File picture: Dan Linehan A senior manager also warned that a single patient safety incident such as a drug error, an in-flight patient emergency, or in the worst-case scenario, a crash, would bring the crewing issue 'sharply into focus'. Concerns were also expressed in March that the NAS was recruiting emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to replace the second paramedic on the aircraft. Qualifying as an EMT takes just five weeks. EMTs cannot perform any of the major 'interventional skills' required to help critically ill patients, including intubation – the placing of a tube in a patient's airway – and the intravenous administration of powerful painkillers, which are often required of patients who need an air ambulance. The NAS provides two dedicated HEMS responses in Ireland - one based in Cork, operated by GMAS, and the other in Athlone operated by the Air Corps - with medical staff on both aircraft supplied by the NAS. In 2022, GMAS won the competitive tender for the delivery of the Cork-based service, taking over from the previous charity provider in February 2023. It is understood the company won the tender again earlier this year. GMAS has an aviation safety management system (SMS) which underwrites the approval of its HEMS service here by its regulator, TM-CAD, the civil aviation directorate in Malta. The National Ambulance Service said it takes concerns raised around the safety of its services very seriously. File picture: Larry Cummins But earlier this year, concerns were emerging from within the service about changes the NAS was making to the medical crewing model on board the aircraft, which included reducing the number of paramedics rostered to work the aircraft from two to just one on certain shifts. In his letter to NAS officials in February, the GMAS official said the HEMS base in Cork had been operating for about two months with a limited medical team on the helicopter. 'It is important that as the operator of the service, we ensure our SMS processes are robust and commensurate with the acceptable risks that prevail during intensive HEMs operations,' he wrote. 'As we understand it, the advanced paramedics are generally spending seven shifts on the helicopter operation within a five-week period. The complex mix of other duties away from the HEMS operation further reduces their capacity to cope. 'As a result, Gulf Med is experiencing workflow and cognitive errors in the aviation centric tasks required of the paramedics that are critical for them to safely interface with the aviation side of the operation. In addition, the low levels of motivation, concentration, and attention to the task that appear to have resulted from the recent changes is evident and impactful.' The company said safety is the number one consideration for all aviation operations and the regulations demand that due attention is given to the management of changes. 'In this case, the HEMs Rathcoole unit has seen three new HEMs paramedics very recently trained and allocated to the helicopter,' the GMAS official said. 'These individuals were trained and certified in a multi-practitioner role (two medical crew on board) and had barely consolidated before being rostered in the single practitioner role on the helicopter. The risks involved in such a change are self-evident. 'For example, a paramedic returning from a significant period away from the unit is often required to mount a HEMS mission in the first few minutes of arriving at the base. This is not a safe practice.' It said like most safety critical activities, all that has to happen for a serious incident or an accident to occur, is for the good people involved to do nothing. The Gulf Med official said he felt they were at the point where something needs to be done to improve: the recent experience of all staff on board the helicopter to match the risks involved in the operation; the mental capacity of junior members of the team to cope with the HEMs role; and a reduction in the disruption and changes that are clearly affecting the motivation, concentration and attention to detail that is necessary to remain safe. GMAS did not respond to requests to comment. Any issues relating to a contract like this, and which are being raised for resolution, must be raised by the relevant company through a formal contract management framework which has been established through the relevant public procurement process. In a response to queries from the Irish Examiner, the NAS said it takes concerns raised around the safety of its services very seriously. 'Any concerns or issues raised in relation to the HEMS are escalated through our agreed contract management process and dealt with expeditiously,' it said in a statement. 'Currently the HSE and Gulf Med Aviation Services are satisfied that services are safe and working effectively. 'The crewing model for the HSE's HEMS is safe for patients and staff. Since its inception in June 2012, the HSE HEMS has operated a successful crewing model consisting of one specialist paramedic and one EMT. 'In September 2024, the HSE commenced a feasibility study to examine the need for physician-delivered HEMS in Ireland. The preliminary results of the trial have not supported any change to the HEMS crewing model, hence the trial period has been extended into 2025.' The HSE said both of its HEMS continue to operate normally, with further support, if required, provided through the Irish Coast Guard's search and rescue aviation service.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Carrier Announces Additional $1 Billion Investment in U.S. Manufacturing Footprint, Advanced Cutting-Edge R&D and Workforce Expansion
Investment creates 4,000 jobs and new state-of-the-art facility PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE: CARR), global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions, today announced plans to invest an additional $1 billion over five years in U.S. manufacturing, innovation and workforce expansion, incremental to its ongoing commitments to American operations. The investment is expected to create 4,000 highly skilled jobs in R&D, manufacturing and field service. "This investment marks the next chapter in our commitment to U.S. manufacturing," said David Gitlin, Chairman and CEO, Carrier. "We are building for the future by creating high-quality, skilled trade careers and empowering American workers to lead the next generation of manufacturing. At the same time, it positions Carrier to capture the tremendous growth ahead in our industry and deliver smart, differentiated solutions for our customers." The additional investment will fund the expansion of existing facilities and construction of a new state-of-the-art manufacturing site to support the production of highly engineered components for heat pumps and battery assemblies — both essential to Carrier's Home Energy Management System (HEMS). It will also accelerate next-generation R&D, including innovations in liquid cooling for data centers and battery-enabled climate solutions technologies developed under Carrier Energy, the company's bold, in-house start up focused on optimizing home energy use and supporting grid flexibility. Carrier's TechVantage initiative, announced in January, is included in both the $1 billion investment and anticipated 4,000 jobs. The program aims to hire 1,000 U.S. service technicians and train more than 100,000 climate solutions service and sales professionals over the next five years. This effort is focused on developing the skilled workforce needed to support the installation and servicing of high-performance climate solutions systems. Based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Carrier is the largest U.S.-headquartered company in its industry and continues to invest in its American operations to strengthen manufacturing capabilities and drive long-term growth. Over the past five years, the company has grown its U.S. workforce by approximately 20 percent, reinforcing its long-standing commitment to American manufacturing, innovation and economic growth. About CarrierCarrier Global Corporation, global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions, is committed to creating solutions that matter for people and our planet for generations to come. From the beginning, we've led in inventing new technologies and entirely new industries. Today, we continue to lead because we have a world-class, diverse workforce that puts the customer at the center of everything we do. For more information, visit or follow Carrier on social media at @Carrier. CARR-IR Contact: Media InquiriesRob RelationsMichael Rednor561-365-2020InvestorRelations@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Carrier Global Corporation Sign in to access your portfolio
Associated Press
13-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Carrier Announces Additional $1 Billion Investment in U.S. Manufacturing Footprint, Advanced Cutting-Edge R&D and Workforce Expansion
Investment creates 4,000 jobs and new state-of-the-art facility PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE: CARR), global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions, today announced plans to invest an additional $1 billion over five years in U.S. manufacturing, innovation and workforce expansion, incremental to its ongoing commitments to American operations. The investment is expected to create 4,000 highly skilled jobs in R&D, manufacturing and field service. 'This investment marks the next chapter in our commitment to U.S. manufacturing,' said David Gitlin, Chairman and CEO, Carrier. 'We are building for the future by creating high-quality, skilled trade careers and empowering American workers to lead the next generation of manufacturing. At the same time, it positions Carrier to capture the tremendous growth ahead in our industry and deliver smart, differentiated solutions for our customers.' The additional investment will fund the expansion of existing facilities and construction of a new state-of-the-art manufacturing site to support the production of highly engineered components for heat pumps and battery assemblies — both essential to Carrier's Home Energy Management System (HEMS). It will also accelerate next-generation R&D, including innovations in liquid cooling for data centers and battery-enabled climate solutions technologies developed under Carrier Energy, the company's bold, in-house start up focused on optimizing home energy use and supporting grid flexibility. Carrier's TechVantage initiative, announced in January, is included in both the $1 billion investment and anticipated 4,000 jobs. The program aims to hire 1,000 U.S. service technicians and train more than 100,000 climate solutions service and sales professionals over the next five years. This effort is focused on developing the skilled workforce needed to support the installation and servicing of high-performance climate solutions systems. Based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Carrier is the largest U.S.-headquartered company in its industry and continues to invest in its American operations to strengthen manufacturing capabilities and drive long-term growth. Over the past five years, the company has grown its U.S. workforce by approximately 20 percent, reinforcing its long-standing commitment to American manufacturing, innovation and economic growth. About Carrier Carrier Global Corporation, global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions, is committed to creating solutions that matter for people and our planet for generations to come. From the beginning, we've led in inventing new technologies and entirely new industries. Today, we continue to lead because we have a world-class, diverse workforce that puts the customer at the center of everything we do. For more information, visit or follow Carrier on social media at @Carrier. CARR-IR View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Carrier Global Corporation
