CareFlight and HeliRes bid for Tasmanian HEMS contract
Australian air ambulance provider CareFlight has announced a bid to operate helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) in Tasmania
CareFlight has partnered with Tasmanian helicopter operator Helicopter Resources (HeliRes) as part of its bid to operate the service in the Australian state.
The company said its strategic partnership with HeliRes in the bid would bring “national experience and local expertise together” to present a “world-class solution” to the Tasmanian government.
CareFlight explained: “The Tasmanian government has approached the market to upgrade and enhance emergency helicopter services across the state. This new and substantially improved helicopter capability will support Ambulance Tasmania, Tasmania Police, and land and maritime-based search and rescue services across the state.”
Mick Frewen, CEO of CareFlight, added: “If successful in our bid, our commitment to putting Tasmania first will see CareFlight reinvest back into the community, ensuring Tasmania has a world-leading emergency air services capability supported through a local center of excellence in pre-hospital critical care and rotary wing operations and training, delivering new career pathways for Tasmanians.”
It follows a recent announcement by the Tasmanian government of a new agreement with the Westpac Banking Corporation to provide funding for air ambulance services in the state.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at AirMed&Rescue. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.