Bob Dodd did a nice job presenting the data on wearing helmets. He presented it at the AMTC in SLC in about 1992. His research made it clear that if you sit in the back of an EMS helicopter you have a high risk of head injury, which was decreased by wearing a helmet.
Regarding the need for nomex / helmets in an age of crashworthy fuel systems: Yes, the military does have crashworthy fuel systems and high-g seats which are protective in a crash. Unfortunately, very few EMS aircraft flown in the US today have these protections.
Dave Thomson
David P. Thomson, MS, MD, FACEP
Associate Professor
Director, Transport Medicine
Medical Director, Telemedicine
Department of Emergency Medicine
Upstate Medical University
Syracuse, NY 13210
