A SEARCH WAS NEARLY STARTED FOR AN EMS HELI. A SHERIFF'S DISPATCHER FAILED TO CLOSE THE HELI'S FLT PLAN WITH FSS AS REQUESTED BY THE PLT.

Narrative

I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN AT APPROX H PLUS 20 HRS. I FILED FOR 45 MIN FLT TO A SCENE EMS LNDG S OF LOCATION. I FOUND THE LNDG ZONE AT APPROX H PLUS 1 PLUS 15 HRS AND ASKED THE DISPATCHER TO CALL ABC FSS AND CLOSE MY FLT PLAN. I FOUND OUT AT H PLUS 2 PLUS 50 HRS; AFTER TALKING WITH ABC FSS THAT MY FLT PLAN WAS NOT CLOSED AS I REQUESTED. WHEN I LANDED AT THE HOSPITAL; ABC; I LEARNED THAT THE FSS PERSON HAD STARTED A PHONE SEARCH AND PLACED THE CAP AND UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ON STANDBY FOR AN ACTUAL SEARCH. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON TO HAVE A SHERIFF DEPT DISPATCHER CALL AND CLOSE A FLT PLAN WHEN WE FLY TO A SCENE IN US. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE SHERIFF DEPT DISPATCHER HAD THE WRONG TELEPHONE NUMBER AND DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY INVOLVED WITH REACHING THE FSS TO CLOSE THE FLT PLAN FOR THE PLT. THE FSS CALLED THE HOSPITAL TO CONFIRM LOCATION OF THE PLT BUT THIS PROGRAM HAS NO DISPATCHER AND THE PERSONNEL CONTACTED DID NOT KNOW WHERE TO LOCATE THE CURRENT INFO; ALTHOUGH IT WAS AVAILABLE.