Civil Emergency Services: guardian angels from the sky | Appels d'Urgence | NT 1

They are fast and able to reach the most inaccessible of places. Every day in France, helicopter pilots save lives. They all belong to the civil emergency services. Which means they intervene to back up the ambulance services, fire fighters or the gendarmes in case of extreme emergency or high-tension situations. They all belong to the Dragon Force”, the unit for experienced pilots trained for extreme flying. With good reason: they must be able to put down anyway in the high mountains or in the middle of a highway. Often the lives of those they come to assist depend on their skill. The majority of cites are considered highly sensitive zones where flying is forbidden, except by the helicopters of the civil emergency services. The status of state helicopter means the dragon can “bend the rules” in order to perform rescue operations. Dragon 69 can fly over Lyon and land there whenever ground conditions permit. Among the most modern in the world, the helicopter can reach a cruising speed of 240 km/h and carry up to 8 people in addition to its operational crew. It’s range of operations extends to around 100 nautical miles from its base, in other words a radius of more than 180 km, and it can fly for 2 and a quarter hours, which represents more than 500 km. And it is victims of road accidents whom these guardian angels save most often. Pile-ups, serious accidents… when a victim needs to be taken to hospital fast, the helicopter pilots are often the only hope.”