Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Services

Our services can be summarised as follows.

Primary Response; which is the transfer of medical personnel directly to the scene of an accident as quickly as possible to save life, and minimise the effect of trauma. The first 60 minutes after an accident has occurred, known as "the Golden Hour", is critical to the patient's survivability and recuperation. Examples are motor vehicle accidents with persons trapped, accidents on rural properties or in industry.

Secondary Response; which is the transfer of patients from hospital to hospital. This is the most common type of mission flown and accounts for approximately 60% of our flights. A typical mission is from Lismore to one of the large hospitals in Brisbane. The aim is not always speed, but the provision of smooth transport with minimum time outside the hospital environment. The helicopter is particularly useful as an alternative to the long slow road transport of patients with spinal injuries. Other examples are neonatal transfers and premature labour transfers where definitive care for the baby is immediately available post birth, in Brisbane.

Search and Rescue; which involve missions, the nature of which are a very important part of our operations in the northern region. Being the very popular and beautiful place that it is, some people during the course of their activities find themselves in dire straits.

During the bush fire season the service is invariably called to assist in the location of fires in the area. Because of its high speed and versatility, the Dauphin is an excellent platform for spotting and recording of fires, breaks and fronts. The aircraft can also be employed to fight bushfires by water bombing, utilising an underslung bucket known as the Bambi-bucket. Using this 680 litre bucket, water is lifted from nearby dams or rivers and flown to the trouble spots where it is released over the fire. We can also rapidly deploy fire fighters into inaccessible terrain for tactical fire fighting.

The service has been called on several occasions to assist in the location of emergency locator beacons, activated either by an aircraft or vessel in distress. Our helicopter carries tracking equipment which has the ability to home in on the emitting emergency beacon, thereby finding the persons in trouble. This, coupled with our winch system, communication and navigation systems, provides a complete package affording an excellent response to most situations within our range.

Whether it be rescuing a person from the surf, from a mountain ridge, from a vessel at sea; landing at an accident scene on a country road at night, transporting a patient from an outlying hospital in the hinterland to Lismore Base Hospital, or supporting emergency services; no person or location within our coverage area, and if need be beyond, is without help. Due to the capabilities and initiative of the service, the entire community, and visitors as well, are adequately covered.