Christoph Life - Training on the job

When every minute counts rescue helicopters such as Christoph 4 are irreplacable for the treatment of seriously ill or injured patients. Christoph 4 – based in Hanover and run by Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V. – is a major part of the accident and rescue centre at the Medical School Hanover and the local and wider rescue system. More than 70.000 missions have been completed by Christoph 4 since its beginning in 1972.

Technical as well as medical progress and a lot of experience have resulted in ever shorter response and transport times for patients and the reduction of the risk of dying for patients during and after the mission. In addition the improved rescue service has positive effects on the healing and rehabilitation period of patients.

The necessary special training of the whole team is seen as exceptionally important by the TraumaStiftung (= Trauma Foundation) and the Johanniter to include the factor "human being" in a continuous development and improvement of the air ambulance concept. For this purpose the concept of an integrated training of a helicopter crew in a realistic helicopter-like simulator was developed.