Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Services

Our services can be summarised as follows.

Primary Response. Primary missions involve the transfer of medical personnel directly to the scene of an accident as quickly as possible to save lives and minimise the effect of trauma. The first 60 minutes after an accident (known as "The Golden Hour") is critical to patients' survivability and recuperation. Examples are motor vehicle, rural and industrial accidents.

Secondary Response. Secondary missions (inter-hospital transfers) involve the relocation of patients between hospitals. Secondaries are the most common missions flown in our flight area, accounting for around 60% of our flights. A typical mission is a patient transfer from Lismore to one of the large Brisbane hospitals. The aim is not always speed, but to provide a smooth transfer with minimum time outside the hospital environment. The helicopter is particularly useful as an alternative to transporting patients with spinal injuries by road. Other examples are neo-natal transfers and premature labour transfers.

Search and Rescue. Because we are based on the North Coast of NSW, we are regularly involved in search and rescue missions over the ocean or in remote bushland areas.

Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter is often called to locate emergency beacons activated by an aircraft or vessel in distress. Our helicopters carry tracking equipment that 'hone-in' on the emergency beacon signal to find the people in trouble. Coupled with our winch, communication and navigation systems, this provides a complete response package to cope with most retrieval situations within our flight range.

Search and rescue operations are normally coordinated by Australian Search and Rescue (AusSAR) based in Canberra. AusSAR coordinate the overall search area and grid patterns for the search and often call in other helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. To ensure safety for all Search and Rescue (SAR) aircraft, each aircraft is given a precise search sector including latitude, longitude, altitude, exit and entry points and flight speed.

Fire Fighting. During the bush fire season we will sometimes assist to locate fires in the area. The Dauphin helicopter is an excellent aircraft for spotting fires because of its high speed and versatility. The aircraft can also be used to fight bushfires by water bombing, utilising a 680-litre underslung 'Bambi-Bucket'. Water is lifted from nearby dams or rivers with the bucket 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.

Whether we're rescuing someone in the surf, a mountain ridge or a vessel at sea; landing at an accident scene on a country road at night or transporting a patient from an outlying hospital to a larger hospital, no one within our operational area is beyond help. Due to the capability and skill of pilots, crew, paramedics, midwives, doctors and engineers associated with the rescue helicopter service, more lives are saved in our community…and that is what Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter is all about!