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Northland's latest
ambulance is a little different from the norm - it's a sleek black
number capable of getting patients between Whangarei and Auckland in
less than 30 minutes.
The Northland Lion
Foundation Air Ambulance is about to take up service in the region after
getting its new colours - a slick black paint job, resplendent with gold
and red lettering.
It is capable of flying at
up to 280kmh.
The S76 Sikorsky chopper is
a "twin sister" of the existing Northland Electricity rescue
helicopter, but will be used as an ambulance, rather than a rescue
machine.
John Bain, of the Northland
Emergency Services Trust, which runs the helicopters, said the final
fit-out of a few pieces of medical equipment meant the new chopper would
not start service until the first week of next month.
However, once in service it
would provide an air ambulance function able to transport ambulance
patients between Kaitaia and Whangarei, or Whangarei and Auckland, in
less than 30 minutes.
"It will take us less
time to get a patient from Whangarei to Auckland Hospital than it would
to get them from the North Shore to the hospital by road during rush
hour," Mr Bain said.
The new machine would free
up the rescue helicopter to concentrate solely on rescue and emergency
work.
"Now we can say we
have a rescue craft and an ambulance craft.
"They are twin
machines and we scouted the world to find an identical helicopter,"
Mr Bain said.
Having twin machines would
save costs on everything from training and parts to repairs and
maintenance.
The chopper, bought from a
corporation in the USA for $US1.65 million ($NZ2.44 million), was
purchased with help from a $360,000 grant from the Lion Foundation.
Among the equipment being
fitted is new global positioning system (GPS) navigation equipment,
bought with help from a $12,000 grant from the Sovereign life insurance
company.
The machine it will
upgrade, the smaller yellow Bolkow helicopter, is on the market.
By Mike Dinsdale
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