Friday, January 28, 2011
** Toronto EMS appoints new chief
** US Army retires renowned medevac chopper from active duty;Hueys gained fame during Vietnam
CANADA NEWS
** Toronto EMS has a new chief. That is the word from a press release put out by the organization which said Paul Raftis, who has functioned as Deputy Chief since January 2010, will assume his new role as of March 1. Raftis, who has worked EMS for 20 years, began his paramedic career in 1991. Along with being trained as an ACP, he was amongst the first providers to work with the tactical paramedic program. Career highlights have included serving as an operations supervisor and deputy chief of operations, as well as managing both the Special Operations Unit and the Ambulance Communications Centre.
UNITED STATES NEWS
** A medevac chopper made famous in images broadcast around the world during the Vietnam War is being retired from active duty. The Yakima-Herald Republic (Mark Morey/January 26) said the US Army has decided to cease using the UH-1 Huey helicopter during flight operations. The Huey, which began service some 50 years ago, was remembered Wednesday as a combat aircraft, troop transport, and search and rescue vehicle. Nicknamed the Dustoff for the cloud of dust stirred up during takeoff, the tag also applied to its medevac crews. In its time, some 16,000 Hueys were manufactured, with seven thousand flying in Vietnam. As a result of the Army’s decision to stand down the chopper from active duty, several Hueys will now largely be used for Air Force training exercises. Two will also be stationed at Fort Rucker, Alabama to assist in the Army’s aviation program.
