Fighting still for rescue service

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 394, 9 July 1991, Page 2

Fighting still for rescue service

Wanganui Aero Works' rural services were given a strong plug at the Waimarino Rescue Trust annual meeting last week. "Once again we are fighting to keep the Waimarino Rescue helicopter in the area," said trust chairman Terry Tapp "Every time another pilot flies into the area for any job it threatens the existence of our machine." The annual meeting, which was the best attended ever, was to discuss the year's financial report and to allow communication between Wanganui Aero Works, Waimarino ambulance

service and Turoa's ski patrol. Over 100 rescues have been performed by the service, the meeting heard, in a wide variety of situations including bush, alpine and farm rescues as well as patient transfers. A number of operations communications problems and solutions were discussed between Turoa staff and WAW, with Turoa's doctor Steve saying he and the ski patrol medical team were now confident of the system. He said there would be times they would have to use the larger Phillips Rescue Helicopter from Taupo, but that with the speed that the WAW

should be able to respond to calls, they would use their service whenever possible. The trustees were told a large proportion of the 1990-91 income was from donations, some from accident victims and families, and some from offenders against the law. Larry Meredith, of the Waimarino Police, told the trustees they operate a diversion system for some first-time offenders whereby they make a donation to the trust, as part of a set of conditions to avoid being taken to court. "They do the community some good, they do us some good and they are saved from being tagged with a conviction," he said. Officers of the Trust remained the same as last year: Terry Tapp as chairman and Ian Strachan as secretary/treasurer.