Changes in the air for rescue chopper services

The Woodville Lions presented the Palmerston North rescue helicopter service with $15,000 on Monday night. Photo / Christine McKay

Our rescue helicopter service is here for another four years and beyond that there is a strong case for it to remain, former chief pilot and base manager of the Palmerston North chopper, Chris Moody, said in Woodville this week.

Speaking at the Woodville Lions Club meeting where the Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter service was presented with a cheque for $15,000, Moody gave some background to the restructuring of rescue helicopter services around the country.

Moody admitted he had been quizzed by Woodville Lion Ron Mabey, one of the instigators of the Coast to Coast fundraiser, about the future of the service.

"If I told you this helicopter would be here forever ... But we need you continue with us in this partnership. We need this service.

"As long as you guys (Woodville Lions) are here for us, we will be here for you, in one shape or another," he said.

Moody has stepped down as pilot, with an ex-serviceman now training for the role.

He is moving into a management role as five existing air ambulance helicopter trusts in the North Island form a joint venture to provide services in the central region. The new provider, Central Air Ambulance Rescue Limited (CAARL), has entered into an agreement with the National Ambulance Sector Office (NASO).

The central region covers the North Island from Wellington up to the Waikato, including the East Cape, Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, Manawatū and Wairarapa. The contract will cover pre-hospital retrieval and inter-hospital helicopter transfers for medical and injury services across the central region and all bases will continue to service local search and rescue needs.

The Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter service will have a dedicated intensive care paramedic as a ramping up in requirements for crewing rolls out.

"I'll be trying to corral this collection of trusts," Moody said. "This is a lengthy process."

It's been a big year for the rescue helicopter service and they have been awarded a Government tender contract for helicopter services, "south of the Bombay Hills".

"We now have a resilient service we can leverage off," Moody said. "The government will buy or lease and find new helicopters, with spare aircraft for bases. The time is right as we didn't want to wait another 15 years because our fleet would have been too old.

"This is all designed to give a better delivery of service to all the regional sites we serve. The Government has offered us a bit of money and we've worked out what a phenomenal contribution our communities give to us."

Moody said the Woodville Lions, "punch above their weight".

Currently, about 50 per cent of the costs of operating rescue helicopter services is met from non-government sources – the community.

Funding is made up of sponsorship and donations from individual members of the public, corporate donors and charitable organisations.

The $15,000 donated by the Woodville Lions to the rescue helicopter service were proceeds from December's Suzuki Coast to Coast ride from Himatangi Beach, to Woodville and on to Akitio Beach and the sale of raffle tickets for a Suzuki GSX150F motorbike, valued at $2995 which was won by dairy farmer Craig Boyden.

Stewart Davies of the Phillips Rescue Trust, which operates the rescue helicopter, was full of praise for the organisation of the ride which becomes stronger and stronger each year.

"This wouldn't happen without the Lions," he said.

Woodville Lion Paul Goldsworthy said without the generosity of sponsors, the ride wouldn't exist.