Position
The National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP), the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), andthe Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) believe that helicopter EMS patient care andoutcomes are optimized by using helicopter landing areas that are physically on-site at referring andreceiving institutions. On-site helipads are those that do not require an additional ground vehicle transport leg for transfer between the helicopter's landing area andthe hospital's patient care area (such as the Emergency Department).
Advantages offered by on-site helipad location include elimination of the inherent risks of additional patient transfers, availability of EMS resources that would otherwise be used for the extra transfer, anddecreased time to arrival at receiving treatment site.