Commissioners authorize MedStar Aviation MOA to coordinate helicopter landings with county responders

The St. Mary's County Commissioners on Oct. 28 approved a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with MedStar Health Inc. to grant MedStar aviation crews access to the county's non‑encrypted fire and EMS radio channels to coordinate landing zones and patient transfer operations.

Deputy Director Kiersten Shea of the Department of Emergency Services told the board that recent increases in requests for aeromedical transport have sometimes exceeded state aviation assets and required coordination with alternative providers. “This MOA would grant MedStar access to our nonencrypted radio channels… to coordinate landing zones with our fire companies on the ground, for safe landing zones and for the preparation transfer of patient care,” Shea said.

Staff clarified the MOA does not change dispatch protocols: the county's dispatch center continues to request an aviation resource from Syscom in Baltimore, which determines the closest available aircraft for a given response. Commissioners asked about the local location of MedStar aviation; staff answered hangars are co‑located near other aviation assets.

A motion to approve the MOA and authorize the commission president to sign carried unanimously.