Helicopter trust to consider future

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 540, 14 June 1994, Page 3

Helicopter trust to consider future

Waimarino' s own rescue helicopter service may be coming to an end, unless ideas on how it can operate under the current situation can be brought forward. The Waimarino Rescue Helicopter Trust is holding its annual meeting this Thursday. Invited to the meeting is the head of the

Manawatu Wanganui St John Ambulance service, Greg Phillips. Trust chairman Ian Strachan said Mr Phillips has been asked to the meeting to explain the current rescue service situation and where the Waimarino service can fit in. At present almost all call-outs are taken

on by the New Zealand Rail rescue helicopter, a dedicated helicopter rescue service based in Palmerston North. Mr Strachan said the decisions about who will attend a call-out are made by St John staff based in Palmerston. He said those staff offic-

ers seem to think the NZ Rail service is better and only call on the Waimarino service as a back-up. St John had good reasons for such decisions, which Mr Phillips will pass on at the meeting, Mr Strachan said he had been informed. "We've got to decide, if we're not wanted, do we wind it up," said Mr Strachan. The local service uses a Wanganui Aero Works helicopter based at Raetihi' s Wards Airstrip which is equipped with about $30,000 worth of emergency medical equipment. Some of the equipment is kept at the Waimarino Health Care-Centre. The local community

raised almost $50,000 for the trust. Mr Strachan said a number of options had been suggested for the future of the trust, and for the equipment and remaining funds which are still substantial. , "As far as the service goes, the biggest thing in our favour is local knowledge. And if the weather is bad the Palmerston chopper may not be able to get in but our one could get out." He said the idea of a back-up service was good, as the Palmerston service covers the whole of the Manawatu Wanganui region. "The trust belongs to the people of the Waimarino so we want to see that it stays in the Waimarino."