The rescue services operate in many different scenarios and provide a wide variety of cover, therefore, they need access to alternative stretchers depending on the emergency. Whether it is the air and sea rescue flying out over the ocean, RNLI picking up stranded sailors or mountain rescuers scaling the peaks in search of lost souls, they all carry essential stretchers with them.
The air and sea rescue units tend to carry basket stretchers on board their helicopters as these are ideal for keeping a patient immobilised and minimising further complications during transfer to hospital. They also require sturdy stretchers, which can stand up to the riggers of being hoisted into the air and swinging around precariously beneath the aircraft.
Hoisting an injured person onto a helicopter can also incur a number of rescue problems of its own as this can often be a scary procedure for someone already suffering from stress. The basket stretcher provides a safe and protective cradle in which the patient will feel slightly more confident as they are winched into the sky.
The basket stretcher is also the one favoured by the RNLI during their water born rescues. Again the injured person needs to be kept tightly strapped in and immobilised, especially as most incidents at sea occur during stormy weather. The basket stretcher ensures the casualty is secured whilst the lifeboat pitches and tosses about in the rough sea.
These stretchers can also be fitted with heated blankets that prevent hypothermia from setting in, while floatation units can be used to aid buoyancy if water recovery is necessary. There are also spinal stretchers and inflatable stretchers available that can be used for assisting people who have suffered spinal injuries whilst in water.
Mountain Rescue deal in some of the most inhospitable and inaccessible areas, high up on perilous ranges or crawling deep underground to assist stricken persons. These teams will quite often reach their patients on foot and need stretchers that are lightweight and easily portable. The Neil Robertson stretcher and the Stokes basket stretcher are two popular litters used by mountain rescue teams. Light and easily transportable they are ideal for carrying to remote rescue locations.
The Stokes litter can be reassembled to form its classic basket shape, which is strong, durable and an essential element in rough terrains. The Neil Robertson stretcher comprising a rigid canvas support with hard inserts for strengthening is equally light and portable. Another popular tool with mountain rescue crews are skid stretchers, especially where the patient has to be dragged and carried across rocky surfaces. Their moulded plastic base acts like a sledge and slides across the ground more efficiently, while the injured person is safely strapped inside.
