CHC reaches new milestone

Western Australian emergency helicopter service CHC Helicopter has announced the completion of its 5,000th mission earlier this month. The service provides Western Australia’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) with crew and helicopters for its RAC Rescue service, supporting both emergency medical service and search and rescue.

The helicopter service has been active since 2003, with it being the only provider giving 24-hour coverage to Western Australia for the first 12 years of operation. The service covers 2.6 million people. The two helicopters the service operates have interchangeable crew and equipment, including a highly qualified critical care paramedic who operates the state’s intensive care equipment integrated into the CHC aircraft.

Road accident and farming accidents, marine and land search and rescues, and time-critical hospital transfers are all covered by CHC, with the service saying that road accidents account for two thirds of the call-outs.

“It is a little awe inspiring to sit back and think about all the missions and work that has gone into the service over 13 years to achieve the 5000th mission milestone,” said pilot and Pandakot base manager Michael Perren. “It’s even more gratifying to consider all the lives saved, reduced suffering for the patients transported, and people we’ve rescued over the years.”

At the end of 2016, the team at the new Bunbury base will be moving into a new state-of-the-art permanent base, being constructed by DFES at the other end of the airfield.