 Westpac Rescue Helicopter | |
| Formation | 1970 |
|---|---|
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Purpose | Resue helicopter service |
| Headquarters | 50 Anzac Avenue, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010 |
| Location |
|
| Coordinates | 36°50′50″S 174°47′19″E / 36.8472015°S 174.7886493°E |
Official language | English |
| Website | https://www.rescuehelicopter.org.nz/ |
The Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter[1] is a New Zealand accident and emergency rescue and transport service operated by Northern Rescue Helicopter Ltd (NRHL)[1]. The operator is a joint venture between Northland Emergency Services Trust and Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust.
The trust operates two AW169 and one BK117 helicopters on behalf of the helicopter owners—the greater Auckland community. There are four "Westpac Rescue Helicopter" services in New Zealand, but they are all separate entities and only linked by the same major sponsor.
The aircraft and crew are trained and equipped to operate day and night, their missions range from emergency/accident casualty transport, to medical transfers (medevacs), rescue searches and airlifts.[2] The service flew 1212 missions in 2021.[3] The trust added specialist emergency medicine critical care doctors to the crew line-up in September 2011 when it commenced a two-year HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) pilot study in partnership with Auckland District Health Board (ADHB). The project received additional funding to continue for a further three years in mid 2013.
- ^ Helicopter Rescue - 30 Years of Community Service, Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust, 30 November 2000, ISBN 0-473-07320-X
- ^ Missions Archived February 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine (from the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust website. Retrieved 2008-01-10.)
- ^ Kapitan, Craig (29 December 2021). "Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter shatters annual mission count record for 2021". NZ Herald. Retrieved 6 May 2021.