Trauma victims in Delaware will be able to get a blood transfusion in midair, thanks to a new partnership between the Delaware State Police and the Blood Bank of Delmarva.
As a result, trauma patients will have a greater chance to survive their injuries.
“Having the aircraft and being able to fly patients helps us overcome the biggest impediment to survivability, which is time and distance," said Capt. Jeff Whitmarsh, who heads up the DSP Aviation Section. "Now you add this component to it, and it becomes exponentially better for the patient.”
Whitmarsh says DSP pilots and medics handled over 500 trauma cases last year.
Key to that step forward are the two new DSP helicopters, added to the fleet last year.
“The new aircraft are equipped with the latest technology when it comes to heart monitors, infusion pumps, and for the whole blood program, we’ve now added these blood warmers," Whitmarsh said.
He added the 15 medics in the Aviation Section went through intense training to use the new equipment.
“Because blood is temperamental, really, the training went into how to properly maintain the blood. Administration [of blood], they're trained to do that, but this was really how to maintain the blood and keep it at a safe temperature so it can be administered.”
The addition of whole blood to DSP helicopters is a continuation of a program started in Sussex and New Castle Counties in 2023. Last November, Kent County paramedics began carrying whole blood as well.
To mark the launch of the program, DSP Aviation Section personnel participated in a blood drive at the Blood Bank of Delmarva.
DSP Superintendent Colonel William Crotty called on Delawareans to follow suit, saying, "I encourage everyone who is able to donate blood, as it could very well be your donation that is flown by a DSP Aviation Crew to a patient in need.”
