Services may get helicopter

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33460, 15 February 1974, Page 3

Services may get helicopter

Police, fire brigade, traffic officers and ambulance men may soon be using a helicopter to carry out their duties in Christchurch.

All the services favours the use of a helicopter.it and a committee is ‘ studying the types avail- < able. ( The aircraft would prob-it ably be used mostly to carry ; patients to Christchurch Hos- t pital, and could also lift I < people from burning office !< blocks and help in directing ! traffic. Representatives of the i I police, fire brigade. Ministry/ of Transport, and ambulance; sendee approved the sugges- i tion of a helicopter at a meet- I ing called three months ago i by the medical staff of 1 Christchurch hospitals. ; The purchase of a helicopter was suggested by the I chairman of the medical staff, Mr J. W. Ardagh, a Christ- I church surgeon who returned > from senice in Vietnam con- 1 vinced that helicopters would be in routine use within five i or six years. “They are not terribly expensive — an Iroquois costs only about $62 an hour to fly —and they can save a lot of lives,” said Mr Ardagh yesterday. “The cost of a Bellj helicopter from Auckland is; $lll,OOO, which is a flea-bite; these days.” Mr Ardagh said the heli- ;

copter could be used three. lor four times a day to bring in country patients or acci-; dent victims. Patients could: also be brought across! Christchurch during peak: ■traffic. “It is proved without doubt : that early treatment and a; quick journey to hospital not! [only can save lives, but lead, to a quicker recovery with fewer complications. Our| hospital board is fully behind’ us on this.” “A patient who is trapped in a truck at Twizel with a blocked artery would not now reach us until 13 or 14 hours after the accident, after stopping at Timaru Hospital on the way here,” he said. “A helicopter could bring . him back in a few minutes. I and he could be taken I straight to the resuscitation j I ward. This is a far less trau-1 ! matic journey.” Mr Ardagh said' the heli-1 . copter could also be used by j ; the fire brigade, traffic offi-j ' cers and police, who could! - pay for its use according to . the length of time in the air. I The Chief Fire Officer (Mr ; F. A. Hardy) said the heli- >: copter could perform several ! fire-fighting duties in Christ- - i church, but several issues I would have to be sorted out, '*! including who would decide ■ which emergency service would use the helicopter in i a big crisis.