Governor Schwarzenegger vetoes CA ski safety bill
The Associated Press
and Sun News Service Reports
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed legislation that would have imposed the nation’s toughest safety standards at California ski slopes. Schwarzenegger on Friday signed legislation that would have required helmets for skiers and snowboarders under 18. But the bill, SB880, won’t go into effect because the Republican governor vetoed a companion bill that mandates ski resorts to prepare annual safety plans.
In his veto message, Schwarzenegger says the ski resort standards called for in AB1652 would have placed an unnecessary burden on resort operators without any assurance of fewer injuries and fatalities.
AB 1652 was authored by assembly member Dave Jones, D-Sacramento, and co-authored by Senator Leland Yee, D- San Francisco, while SB 880 was authored by Yee and co-authored by Jones.
“I am very disappointed that the governor vetoed AB 1652 given the fact there was no opposition to the bill,” Jones said. “It is highly unusual for a Governor to substitute his personal judgment about the impact on the industry for the industry’s own judgment. This bill had no opposition because everyone, except for the governor, recognizes how important injury prevention and safety are, especially for children.
AB 1652 was sponsored by the California Ski and Snowboard Safety Organization, founded by Dr. Dan Gregorie.
“We fully appreciated the ski industry’s collaboration and support on both AB 1652 and SB 880, bills that would have provided for the use of helmets and increased access to snow sport safety information,” Gregorie said. “By obtaining data specific to the ski resorts, individuals and families would have been able to make informed decisions about their own snow sport experiences.”
“Many California ski resorts are located on U.S. Forest Service land, and are already required to compile and file safety and accident reports with USFS as well as maintain some of this information in the resort management office,” Schwarzenegger wrote in his veto message. “Ski resorts in California also already mark their ski area boundaries and trails with appropriate information. This bill may place an unnecessary burden on resorts, without assurance of a significant reduction in ski and snowboard-related injuries and fatalities.”
While both bills earned at least two-thirds majority to pass through the assembly and senate earlier this year, it was opposed by many Republicans who saw them as forms of “nanny government” that levy a huge burden of policies on California ski resorts that would have to obey the strictest regulations in the nation.
Care Flight among the top for industry safety standards serving Tahoe Truckee
By Kurt Althof
Care Flight public and customer relations manager
TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. – The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is calling on regulators to require new lifesaving technologies on many air ambulances such as night-vision goggles and terrain avoidance systems. The devices are costly, but the NTSB says they would save lives in a health care system increasingly reliant on helicopters for transporting critically ill patients.
Care Flight’s Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Margaret Tole couldn’t agree more. “Safety is our number one priority because we can’t provide exceptional patient care if you don’t operate safely,” said Tole.
Care Flight, which services the Truckee and Lake Tahoe region, has always been on the leading edge of aviation safety. In 1995 Care Flight added satellite phones to each aircraft to ensure yet another communication option, especially needed when flying in rural Nevada and other areas where cell service and even radio repeaters can be inconsistent.
Night flying can be hazardous and Care Flight began flying with night vision goggles (NVGs) in 2005. Unlike many other flight programs, Care Flight has trained all of the medical staff, not just the pilot, to ensure there are three sets of eyes keeping a look out for any possible danger. Care Flight uses the same night vision goggles the military uses.
“Each pair runs about $10,000, but they are well worth the investment,” said Tole.
In October 2008, Care Flight again voluntarily upgraded the safety equipment in the aircraft with the addition of Terrain Avoidance and Warning Systems (TAWS), as well as dual, moving, GPS systems with live weather feeds, and upgraded satellite phones.
In addition to all of the safety upgrades and investments, Care Flight contracts with Air Methods Corporation to provide the aviation component for the program, which includes pilots and mechanics. Air Methods Corporation is the largest medical helicopter operator in the country and is also an industry leader in safety enhancement and training. As part of the Air Methods Corporation, every single Care Flight trip is tracked via real time satellite, not only by the Care Flight dispatch center in Reno, Nev., but also an Operational Control Center in Denver, Colo., staffed with pilots and weather technology. Care Flight’s Aviation Communication Specialists require verbal position reports every 15 minutes from the pilot to ensure the flight is going as planned and constant communication is maintained.
“Care Flight is committed to clinical excellence and safe operation,” said Tole. “We will continue to strive toward improved safety at every opportunity as well as support the NTSB safety recommendations.”
About Care Flight
Care Flight, headquartered in Reno, Nev., has served the northern Nevada and north eastern California area since 1981 and was one of the first hospital based programs in the country. Care Flight staffs three bases 24 hours per day, seven days per wee in Reno, Nev., Gardnerville, Nev., and Truckee, Calif. Each base covers a 150 miles radius totaling 40,000 square miles. Each aircraft is staffed with a critical care flight nurse and critical care paramedic. Care Flight is a division of the Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority (REMSA).
