120 | COMMUNITY Life Flight: Aeromedical Airbase We’re proud to deliver projects that make a difference to our community, like this one. Got a similar project in mind? Let’s work together. fosters.co.nz T T Rosa Watson 50 years of lifesaving missions Today its fleet includes six King Air air ambulances and the Wellington-based Westpac Rescue Helicopter. “I always think that we’re standing on the shoulders of giants here at Life Flight. Some incredible people have come before us, especially in those early years.” Life Flight is celebrating 50 years of lifesaving missions that will continue into the future thanks to generous supporters. For half a century the charity has been providing life-saving emergency air ambulance services, transferring critically ill patients to get the specialist care they urgently need. Today, its fleet includes six King Air air ambulances and the Wellington-based Westpac Rescue Helicopter. “We’re called upon when minutes matter,” head of fundraising Sebastian Grodd says. To add to the milestone celebrations is the opening of a new purpose-built air ambulance base at Hamilton Airport. “So now we’ve got an excellent, fit-for-purpose air ambulance base there.” Formally launched earlier this year, the base has hangarage for two air ambulance planes, with one of the King Air aircraft already based there. Fundraising is underway for an additional air ambulance plane that will also be based there. “It just needs a final piece of hardware that we’re fundraising for,” Sebastian says. A road ambulance has also been funded for a patient transfer vehicle, reducing transfer time. “We have teams ready to fly at all times of the day and night.” The charity receives a callout on average every four to five hours, day and night. Callouts can be through the hospital service, a component of the 111 service, or the rescue coordination centre based in Wellington that receives emergency locator beacon transmissions. Sebastian says the rescue helicopter and air ambulances complement each other. “Where a helicopter is fantastic is when there’s no safe place to land, you can use a winch to get people out of the bush or out of the sea. “That’s exceptional in those scenarios, or even if there’s a small landing site, like a clearing in the bush, or a school field, or a beach, choppers can utilise those, which is obviously a huge benefit.” The King Air aircraft, on the other hand, has a cruising speed roughly twice as fast as the helicopter. “So, if you need to go longer distances ... the plane can do that in half the flying time,” he says. “A plane is also fully pressurised. So, for certain conditions, that’s the difference between life and death.” It also has a world-class fully-automated loading system, and capacity for numerous passengers. There are around 60 staff involved in Life Flight operations across the Wellington and Waikato bases — the majority being operational, such as crew and pilots. There are also intensive care nurses based at Waikato, and additional support like mission coordination and fundraising. Sebastian says there has been a significant growth in demand for the service over the last few years — around 20 per cent year-on-year growth in the mission numbers in the last three years. It currently has some government contracts that contribute approximately 60 per cent of its overall cost. The other 40 per cent comes from generous supporters. “We literally couldn’t fly without them.” Volunteers run fundraising events, and there are loyal regular donors who donate every month. There are also some grant funding opportunities and corporate partners. “(There’s a) whole plethora of different people that keep us flying, and we have some wonderful people who leave a gift in their will and that’s something that’s become especially generous in recent years. “We’re really humbled by that, year after year, people contribute to keep us flying.” “It was a special moment to reach 50 years,” he says. “I always think that we’re standing on the shoulders of giants here at Life Flight. Some incredible people have come before us, especially in those early years.” “Reaching the milestone was an opportunity to reflect on those early years, on some of those incredible stories, and on those incredible people that made it all happen. “I think of our co-founders Peter Button, and Dr Russell Worth, and their respective families and what they gave to make it all possible ... and we always honour their memory. “And I think we’re providing a service that they’d be really proud of.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=