The Youthtown Trust Rescue Helicopter
An emergency rescue helicopter has been operating in the Central Plateau region since 1985. The Taupo based rescue helicopter, now known as the Youthtown Trust Rescue Helicopter, covers the Taupo, National Park, Taumarunui regions and sometimes well beyond.
The rescue helicopter and its expert crew carry out approximately 200 missions each year. A mix of ambulance, search and rescue and Police work makes up these missions with the overall service having a very real impact on outcomes for members of the community unfortunate enough to suffer serious illness or injury.
It's main work involves getting St John paramedics and rescue personnel to critically ill or badly injured people anywhere in the region, and then getting those endangered people to the major hospitals in Rotorua and Hamilton for the best possible care.
Often, the helicopter is called on to get paramedics and rescue crew into remote locations, such as forestry, mountain or distant farming and bush areas, where people have been badly injured and need urgent attention. As well, the helicopter and specialist crew play major roles in search and rescue work on land or at sea, and also to support the police.
The AS350B2 ‘Squirrel’ helicopter and its expert crew of pilots, paramedics, and officers of the Police force, respond quickly and effectively to all emergencies to ensure delivery of the best level of service; a service made possible through donations of time, money, goods and services from local businesses, service groups and the community at large.
The service is available to everyone living in the region, and is also widely used by visitors, travellers and tourists who are in the area and experience illness or accident.
The Youthtown Trust Rescue Helicopter is one of five rescue helicopter services in the Central North Island operated and managed by the Philips Search & Rescue Trust.
Providing fast transport to the major hospitals in Rotorua and Hamilton, the rescue helicopter has an operational coverage area extending from its base at Taupo Airport to all points throughout the Central Plateau region.
Being such a vast recreational region, the Taupo rescue helicopter is often called to incidents involving recreational pursuits, eg; motorbike and horse riding accidents as well as tramping, skiing and snowboarding accidents. These accidents account for more than half of the missions undertaken.
|
