Source: Radio New Zealand
The police said air ambulances were one of a range of assets, and they would always deploy the most appropriate one. Supplied/ Philips Search and Rescue Trust
The Rescue Coordination Centre says it does not expect to make less use of air ambulance helicopters for search and rescue (SAR) despite costs skyrocketing.
The hourly rate the three helicopter providers charge jumped on Friday from a minimum $8200 an hour to $13,450 an hour.
The much higher new rate incorporates fuel costs but was calculated before the steep rises in these due to the Iran war. Health NZ and ACC, which set the rates, said they would not revisit the fuel costs in the rate for another year.
Those most exposed to the higher rate are Maritime NZ’s Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) and the police, which are the country’s only two lead agencies for search and rescue. When they choose to send a chopper on a job, they must pay for it.
“Our priority is to ensure the most appropriate assets are used for a SAR operation,” Maritime NZ told RNZ.
“No two operations are the same. Depending on the circumstances – weather, location and the other considerations we must take into account – the best response might be people on foot, vessels, land vehicles or aircraft. Often it is a combination of these.
“Taking all the circumstances into account, a capable rescue helicopter, due to its speed, trained crew and flexibility, even with the cost increases, will continue to often be the most cost-effective response in comparison to other options.
“When that is the case, we will task the rescue helicopter.”
RCC had $3.9m for SAR operations this year. “This has not changed due to the recent cost increases, and we expect to spend within budget at year end.”
The police said air ambulances were one of a range of assets, and they would always deploy the most appropriate one, though frontline responders have questioned if that was always the case, in RNZ’s recent reporting.
“Where life is at risk and time is of the essence, police will always prioritise that by ensuring the most appropriate assets are deployed,” they said.
“As with all emergency responses, incidents are often unforeseen and police deal with these responses as they arise.
“Police budgets contain commercial sensitivities and will not be disclosed but are designed to prioritise operational spending for such events.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand