Cornwall Air Ambulance sets up new weather station

The new site, which has been funded by Charity Ambassador Dr Karen J Dickens, will assist in accurate reporting of local conditions, making it easier than ever to determine whether the helicopter can fly to incidents in the north coast area.

Previously, pilots relied on information from weather stations located in Newquay, Penzance, and the Isles of Scilly to gauge weather conditions in North Cornwall, which wasn’t always accurate enough to permit a safe launch.

Undoubtedly, the new site will provide valuable data where dramatic differences in weather conditions are often seen at opposite ends of the county.

Helping emergency services in the UK

Karen donated £26,000 to build the new station, which won’t just support Cornwall Air Ambulance missions, but will also help other emergency services in the county, too.

She said: “The Cornish people did an amazing job of raising the funds to buy the new helicopter and continue to do so to keep the critical care paramedics in the air. So, it is only right that the charity pilots have access to the best and most up-to-date information too.”

She added: “The critical care paramedics and pilots do an incredible job every day, and I am glad that I can support them in their lifesaving missions with my personal donations and fundraising activities, along with those of my company, Comitti Boats UK & Caribbean.”

Meanwhile, new figures released by the charity show the crew responded to 733 incidents in the helicopter and 359 in the rapid response vehicles.