AIR AMBULANCE PILOT CITES RISKS, REWARDS OF DUTY.

Byline: Stacy Brown Daily News Staff Writer

In the sprawling North County, where hospitals are few and far between, Los Angeles County fire air ambulances are used daily to rush the injured and ill to emergency rooms in Valencia and Mission Hills.

Gary Bertz, a senior helicopter pilot and county fire employee for 21 years, said the job of rescuing victims is a demanding one, but the rewards are real despite the dangers.

Last week's fatal crash landing of a Los Angeles city rescue helicopter didn't shake Bertz's confidence in air operations. The crash claimed the lives of three L.A. Fire Department rescuers and the 12-year-old girl they were transporting to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

``Sure it stays with you for a while, but we accept that as part of the job, and we know that we have to move on because there is always someone else who will need us,'' he said.

It is the night flights that awaken Bertz to the risks of the job.

``That's one of the main concerns we have while in the air. Flying at night, especially north of the mountains in places like Santa Clarita, where there isn't much light and you have wires everywhere, it's dangerous,'' he said.

Bertz said his job takes him to various places throughout the county, from Long Beach to Los Angeles and from the heliport in the San Fernando Valley north to Palmdale as crews take on rescue mission after rescue mission. A support staff on the ground helps his team keep up their confidence.

``We have the best maintenance crew in the world,'' Bertz said. ``Our fleet is thoroughly checked on a daily basis, so I'm not worried.''

Bertz is among a squad of 22 pilots and paramedics who respond to 1,400 to 1,700 rescue calls a year. Among the county's copter fleet are a Jet Ranger, three Bell 205 A15s and four Bell 412s. The county has a total of eight rescue copters, three that are manned daily, four weekly and one on a 24-hour basis.

``We pick up hundreds of people each year during our rescue operations and first and foremost our job is to safely land the chopper and then wrap and deliver the patient as quickly and safely as possible,'' Bertz said.

The job is a bittersweet one. Sometimes patients make it just in time to the hospital. Sometimes they die en route. The system - particularly following the fatal crash March 23 near Griffith Park - has been criticized, with some calling for more trauma centers and less air transit of patients.

Bertz said the system isn't perfect, but it works.

``If you're picking up someone from Palmdale it would be nice to have one closer, but we have good facilities in several places,'' he said. Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, UCLA Medical Center and Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital are among the rescuers' most frequently used destinations.

As Bertz began to share his grief over fallen comrades in the city of Los Angeles, a loud screeching sound went off in the background. Another emergency, another rescue and another day at the office for one of the county's heroes in the sky.

``You see, we stay busy. Gotta grab this call,'' he said.