Australian rescue service acquires CRC
The RACQ Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service in Australia has announced that, after a wait of 18 months for funding, it has acquired a state-of-the-art Child Rescue Capsule
The RACQ Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service in Australia has announced that, after a wait of 18 months for funding, it has acquired a state-of-the-art Child Rescue Capsule (CRC). Attaching to the winch cable hook, and accompanied by a rescue crewman at all times, the CRC ensures that infants and small children can be quickly and safely secured, eliminating most of the associated risks of winching a child. Senior aircrewman Nathan Triffet said of the kit: “This equipment will be an asset to our operations, especially during times of flood. The crew have already begun flight training operations with the CRC and are impressed by its versatility.”
The CRC can be used both over water and land, as it has inbuilt floats for the water environment, and can be utilised for handling anything from a tiny baby to a small child. It can be extended if the child is slightly bigger, with a rated capacity of 50 kg. Kirsty Hansen, spokesperson for the RACQ Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service, commented on the addition to the crew’s resources: “Whilst we are always eager to deliver a higher level of service to the CQ community, we are just hoping that outside of training, the CRC doesn’t get much use. If needed, though, we now have an efficient, strong and durable child transportation device as part of our rescue kit.”