ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The number of Maryland medevac transports has dropped significantly since a fatal crash in September, and lawmakers are now wondering if they should proceed with plans to replace the entire aging helicopter fleet.
Donald DeVries, chairman of the State Emergency Medical Services Board, and Dr. Robert Bass, director of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems, briefed lawmakers on the issue Tuesday.
There have been 396 requests for medevac flights since the crash in District Heights that killed four of the five people aboard, Bass said. About 57 percent of those requests resulted in transports.
If that trend continues, there would be about 1,679 transports a year, Bass said, a major drop from the 4,100 transports last year.
The state's fleet currently includes 11 helicopters.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
