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Foundation Capabilities

Who Can Predict?

A Philosophy

Domestic Readiness

Immediate Response

Operational Management

Management Facility

Self-Sustainment

Foreign Support

Who Can Predict the Magnitude or Type of Disaster?

“I don’t think anyone could have anticipated the breach of the levies.”

President George W. Bush about Katrina on ABCs Good Morning America

“I don’t think anybody could have predicted that these people would… try to use an airplane as a missile, a hijacked airplane as a missile.”

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during White House briefing, May 16 2002

“I don’t think anyone could have predicted the sectarian violence.”

Major General William Caldwell, spokesman for the military in Iraq, to the New York Times, August 6, 2006

A Philosophy for Disaster Response

This new philosophy is not another effort in reinventing the wheel, but a blueprint for augmenting existing assets to respond in the most immediate, efficient, effective and capable manner. The time is past for casting blame or responsibility to past disaster response failures. The past is for learning and this document provides a logical catalyst that will generate the most immediate and effective response capability with fiscal responsibility.

“Disaster response must vary with the motive of the terrorist, Mother Nature’s whim and the result that gives rise to them. The  first, the supreme, the most far-reaching act of judgment a statesman can make is to establish by that test the kind of response on which they are embarking; neither mistaking it for, or trying to turn it into, something more or less than what it is, or assuming it too be typical of past experience. This is the first of all strategic questions and the most comprehensive.”

With thanks to Carl Von Clausewitz

To do otherwise is a serious mistake in judgment. In immediate response there is no room for error. Arriving without the correct cache of equipment to meet the immediate need can at best cost time and at worst, cost human life.

“First Response" means just that, getting there first. That could mean days or even a week or more. Currently, the Federal Government's responsibility to respond is 72 hours after receiving a request by an appropriate requesting authority. History shows that this is entirely too late. "Immediate Response" means immediate and in Wing's case it means airborne in 3 hours and onsite at the critical area within 12 hours domestically, or 24 hours internationally.

Having the correct cache of relief aid is critical. Wings capability allows for the sustaining of human life for at least 10,000 disaster victims for up to three days. Although Wings can provide continuous re-supply, this time frame gives additional responders time to gather the appropriate type and volume of aid required to meet a sustaining need.

Domestic Readiness with a Global Response Capability

The planning for any war requires an OPLAN, an operations plan, a contingency plan. A response to a disaster, likewise, requires the same. The OPLAN should be to react with a plan, not just plan to react.

Wings World Wide - The Air Medical Foundation has such a plan. No other such plan exists or is planned for. No other plan is equally or more cost effective, reliable, capable and responsible. This is not a new plan or an invention, but the augmenting of existing assets to provide for the most reliable, capable and economical disaster response plan to date. It does not compete with existing TRANSCOM or CRAF assets. It is just a different mission, the first mission. It fills the gap between the event and ongoing responders and allows first responders to arrive and act immediately. It is a domestic readiness that fills the gap between the event and continued and sustained support.

The readiness plan calls for continual training of all types of responders, elevating them from “first responders” to “immediate responders”. Responders from all regions can receive yearly training, hands on experience with the equipment and tools they will use in actual response situations. This will allow the Federal Response Program to evaluate the capabilities of responders, in numbers, preparedness and performance.

This is a response plan for both domestic and international use. Being continually ready domestically allows for a global response capability. The current attitude of wait for the disaster, request the help and deliver it when we can commercially afford to is just out of date. Wings’ blueprint creates a resource in readiness that can be used daily by a multiple of government agencies without loosing the immediate response capability. Further, it allows for aircraft to be used in the civilian sector by NGOs to fulfill ongoing humanitarian needs.

This plan is not just a once used disposable asset. The readiness assets remain available forever. Economically, the plan allows for growth, increasing the asset base of response vehicles and aid. This is a profit based program. The profit is not in a pocketbook, but in the growth and readiness of the Foundation and its ability to respond in all future disaster events and humanitarian opportunities.

Thus, there is now the ability to react with a plan immediately, not just plan to react. Wings’ domestic and international “immediate response” medical missions are organized to respond immediately with the appropriate combination of personnel, equipment, and supplies. It can supplement over-burdened emergency facilities or replace emergency services (emergency room, trauma room, critical care, and surgical stabilization) of a medical facility that is no longer viable.

Immediate Response Capability

From the time of mission notification by the authorizing authority, Wings’ aircraft can be airborne within three hours. Wings has designed into its response capability 9 basic aircraft with 3 basic configurations. Each configuration can be modified for type-specific disaster relief or response events. The aircraft fleet consists of two B747-200CCA (combination cargo aircraft), one 747-200HLF (heavy lift freighter), three B727-200CCA (combination aircraft) and three CASA 235CCA (combination cargo transports). Also available are the forward support vehicles of the Griffon Hovercraft and the Eurocopter 135.

The B747-200AMMF aircraft is one of two B747-200C, a primary “immediate response” aircraft. Forty-five minutes will be required to configure the lower hold cargo with its deployable ground medical facility. The main cargo deck of the second B-747-200CCA aircraft is loaded with three complete NDMS caches. Either aircraft can accommodate the initial response depending upon the need and situation. Flight planning, final aircraft servicing, and mission briefing are accomplished within the same three hour time period. Enroute, up to 90 NDMS and/or USAR teams/personnel can be picked up domestically and inserted within 8 to 12 hours. Either aircraft can launch in the initial response phase while the other can carry a follow-on role within hours.

Another follow-on cargo support mission allows for re-supply and supplemental delivery for type-specific disaster situations. Wings will utilize either the B747-200HLF (Heavy Lift Freighter) or the second 747-200CCA (combination cargo aircraft) to support this evolution.

All aircraft (B747-200AMMF, 747-200CCA and B747-200HLF) upper-decks have mission management facilities. These areas support flight crews and mission staff for ground and air operations. Up to sixteen management personnel can operate each facility. It has a full complement of aviation radios capable of transmitting and receiving on all bands and frequencies including satellite and wireless communications.

If the mission involves airports too small for the B-747 aircraft, Wings’ B- 727 aircraft are available to meet the need of length, altitude and temperature restrictions which may exist. These aircraft, though smaller, can be fully cargo and passenger compatible as well as medically configured depending upon the specific response mission. The CASA 235 and Eurocopter 135 aircraft extends these missions to unimproved landing strips and the hovercraft allows for water delivery in “wet type” disaster events.

Operational Site Management

On arrival at the airport nearest the disaster site or medical facility, the Deployable Ground Medical Facility (DGMF) will be established in an available hangar, building or secured ground site. The DGMF will always be located in close proximity to the AMMF (Air Mobile Medical Facility). A helicopter pad will be installed with both day and night operational capabilities in an appropriate location supporting the AMMF and the DGMF. Either location will be near an airport security controlled perimeter access gate so that ground emergency vehicles can deliver and transport patients as required. The medical facilities on the AMMF and in the DGMF will be readied for use by NDMS teams with the assistance of Wings’ mission personnel and medical managers. Additional locally acquired medical personnel may be used to finish staffing the aircraft and ground medical facility if necessary. These personnel can come from volunteers or from members of local area first responder medical teams. In three to four hours, the AMMF and DGMF can be ready to receive patients. Utilizing the medical staff in two twelve-hour shifts, over five days, a minimum of 400 patients per day can be triaged, stabilized, and treated (depending on patient acuity) before re-supply is required. Additionally, the B727-200CCA and CASA 235CCA aircraft remain available for unique re-supply, evacuation or other operational demands.

Wings’ medical staff will assist NDMS team members with medical equipment in-service and support services familiarization. As a normal contingent, the following medical staff will deploy with the AMMF: Medical Director, Surgical Charge Nurse, Critical Care Nurse (CCRN and CFRN), Pharmacist, Bio-medical Technician, and Surgical Sterilization Technician. All flight attendants and most security personnel will be EMT, EMT-A or EMT-P certified and will support NDMS personnel in the operation of the AMMF and DGMF.

Food (two hot meals and one bag lunch per day), potable water, hygiene, sanitation, and sleeping accommodations are furnished for a minimum of 180 medical personnel, including Wings’ mission and medical personnel.

Mission Management Facility (MMF)

Public service, aircraft, amateur, EMS, citizens band radio and cellular/ satellite telephonic communications are available for ground communications onboard the aircraft in the MMF. Capabilities will include frequency-agile radios covering HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies. Operating modes include analog and digital voice, and data with encryption, including the new APCO P25 narrow-band digital voice protocol. This level of flexibility enables inter-agency communications with almost any current system. An onsite paging terminal, phone patch, and multiple dispatch consoles will provide optimum efficiency for the mission management staff. When longer range communications are required, a self-contained portable repeater system can be quickly deployed at a remote location to establish ground radio links beyond line-of-sight. With U.S. Government approval, SINGARS military radio racks with matching antennas will also be installed. Video surveillance of the DGMF, helicopter pad, aircraft access, and other aircraft sections will be monitored for security and control purposes. Monitoring with GPS tracking can also be utilized for ground transport and flight following. An array of widescreen monitors will allow all personnel and work groups to observe mission activities. Upper deck galleys and comfort facilities are configured to support the flight crews and mission staff for both ground and air operations.

Operational Self-Sustainment

Wings does not require outside aircraft support for the logistical replenishment of aid and supplies during its missions. Wings two back-up aircraft, the CCA and HLF aircraft, provide sufficient and ongoing support until no longer required. There is no requirement for ground support equipment at the destination as Wings supplies its own self-contained offloading equipment, generators and air-conditioning.

After delivering “immediate response” teams, the B747-200AMMF aircraft will remain on site until relieved. The B747-200CCA will continue logistical re-supply, evacuation and carriage of additional relief teams as necessary, including additional USAR and/or NDMS team(s). The B747-200HLF will continue with re-supply until relieved.

Once any aircraft is relieved, it will return to its operational base to be re-stocked and made available for other supply missions as necessary, or readied for future disaster or humanitarian missions. Thus, the disaster relief platform remains an ongoing viable response vehicle, capable of being used over and over again without outsourcing time delays, lengthy retrofit or commercial cost structures.

Foreign Support

Evacuation

The B747-200 AMMF (Air Mobile Medical Facility) and/or the B747-200CCA or B747-200HLF (Heavy Lift Freighter) can be used in support of United States interests abroad, to include the evacuation of U.S. personnel from disaster sites or high risk/threat environments. For example, a combination of at least 200 palletized seats and 47 NATO litters and cargo space can be installed to support these operations in the HLF and the already 90 seat CCA and AMMF aircraft can be converted to support over 100 additional passenger seats and / or litters.

A two flight-crew complement will operate the aircraft so that one continuous evolution will facilitate the extraction of personnel. A full complement of Wings’ flight/security personnel and critical care medical personnel will support this type of movement.

Medical Disaster Response

At the direction of the U.S. State Department or other appropriate agencies, the B747-200AMMF, B747-200CCA and the B747-200HLF can be used to respond to international disasters and humanitarian situations. For an international disaster, the AMMF can be configured and airborne in the same domestic three-hour response time. The AMMF can pick up medical and surgical teams (up to 90 persons) in various U.S. locations and deliver them anywhere in the world within 24 hours and domestically within 12 hours. As with the evacuation scenario above, a two flight-crew complement would facilitate a continuous mission, supplemented with Foundation mission and medical support personnel as necessary.

The AMMF can be equipped and supplied for the support of 90 medical personnel for at least a five-day mission with food, water/water purification, and medical supplies. Utilizing the medical staff in two twelve-hour shifts, a minimum of 400 patients per day can be triaged, stabilized, and treated. The AMMF can also be used as the primary medical support facility for injured or ill U.S. support personnel and the re-supply aircraft can evacuate these same personnel if required.

The CCA and HLF aircraft can be used to transport USAR or other specialty equipment within the same 24 hour international and 12 hour domestic time frames as the AMMF aircraft. The HLF will return to the home base after its first response delivery and await an “on call” requirement or the scheduled re-supply mission. It can also remain in the critical area and re-supply from adjacent States. Besides the heavy lift capability of the HLF (over 120 tons) and the CCA (91 tons), both aircraft can also be configured to deliver replacements for the original mission personnel, with a combination of palletized seats, NATO litters, and cargo.

All aircraft are self-sustaining, having off-loaders, onboard generators and air-conditioning. Tent lodging is always carried onboard for each personnel complement.

Training Missions

No longer do “in service”, practice scenarios, and “blackboard” chalk talks have to be the mainstay of training for first responders. Wings can provide quarterly missions in conjunction with NDMS teams, first responders and selected government agencies to facilitate readiness and response training. These training missions provide real time experience with hands on use of the equipment and facilities they will use in the field during an actual disaster response. This allows groups from all over the country, if not the world, to coordinate between their counterparts in other regional and world-wide operating groups. It allows the Federal Government to evaluate the call-up response capabilities and efficiency of these units.

Wings aircraft will pick up medical and rescue teams and deliver them in real time to DART or any domestic training site. While local simulated disaster training can be “realistic”, the reality of actual deployment, insertion and use of the disaster response system can be even more effective. While in training scenarios at present are preplanned and equipment is readily available, when actual disasters occur, teams travel disjointed from their place of origin with their equipment on different airlines and transport conveyance. Sometimes they are separated for days. Using Wings “immediate response” aircraft, these teams travel with their equipment and arrive ready to work.

The AMMF can be used to support real-time injuries of training personnel, as well as receive mock-up casualties by ground transport or air ambulance. These missions can be mirrored or supported by the CAA and HLF aircraft. As in the “immediate response” objective of this document, the AMMF is capable of supporting all deployed training personnel with food, water, hygiene, sanitation, etc., for at least five days. Training missions can be at any length of time and only limited in size due to availability of responders. The end result is real time training that enhances real time response.

Air Force, both regular and reserve components, require a minimum number of yearly flight hours in order to maintain their currency and qualification to serve onboard airborne medivac missions. The extent of usage for TRANSCOM aircraft limit the ability of their personnel to comply with this requirement. During yearly training missions, disaster relief missions and pre-planned humanitarian missions these military personnel can meet these yearly requirements.

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