The Italian story of HEMS: the HEMS Association

Mountain HEMS Association was born, with a notarial deed of incorporation, in April 2008 following the initiative of 7 autonomous Region /Provinces of the Alps and Apennines: in 2005, Dr. Enrico Visetti, Anesthetist Doctor of the Aosta hospital, organized a helicopter rescue training course aimed at new doctors to be included in the local helicopter rescue. In December 2006, access to the course was offered to all the other operational bases in the Alps. The invitation was extended to the various figures operating within the Service, therefore doctors, nurses, and subsequently the CNSAS Helicopter Rescue Technicians: with the participation of new external experiences, the course objective was also modified. In 2007, 90% of the participants in the training course were Doctors and Nurses who already had experience and actively operated in the helicopter rescue in the bases of origin: the participants themselves had to bring their own ideas and experiences and simultaneously cover the role of speakers. Until now, the main objective, concentrated in the training addressed to new doctors, became, thanks to the support of the various experiences, an exchange of opinions and a training ground for discussion between the various actors. The technical mountaineering part was managed thanks to the support of the mountain rescue, always present in the external activities alongside the staff. In the theoretical part, various lines of common behavior were discussed to be adopted in the interventions of Helicopter Rescue, while in the context of the scientific discussion, the total lack of a database of helicopter rescue services in which to obtain useful information was recognized. During the Courmayer course, in the spring of 2007, the idea of creating a website was born with the aim of developing a data acquisition system from the various operational bases of the Alpine and Apennine arc: from this initiative, the establishment of the Association.