Waiting on scene for helicopter transport is permissible only if the air transport ETA is less than how many minutes?

• A. 5 minutes
• B. 8 minutes
• C. 10 minutes
• D. 12 minutes

Answer: (B)

This item tests how to decide whether to wait on scene for air transport by weighing on-scene time against the speed advantage of a helicopter. Waiting is permissible only if the air medical crew is expected to arrive within eight minutes. Eight minutes is the practical cutoff: when the ETA is under that threshold, the total time to definitive care by air can be shorter than delaying care for ground transport. If the ETA would be longer than eight minutes, you should proceed with ground transport to get the patient to an appropriate facility without further on-scene delay. The other options don’t define that clear boundary: a shorter number would be an unnecessarily strict limit, while longer numbers would permit waiting even when the helicopter isn’t imminent.