The Otago Rescue Helicopter Trust has had a very busy and satisfactory year.
- The Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter experienced a dramatic increase in emergency missions during the year.
- Our rescue helicopters flew 812 hours on emergency missions throughout the lower South Island – a 28% increase from last year.
- The continuing increasing emergency demand reflects the increasing importance of the rescue helicopter to our Otago and Southland communities.
- 476 Emergency patients flown to Dunedin Hospital.
- Double staffing of advanced paramedics stationed at the Taieri rescue base has allowed faster emergency response times.
- Increased utilisation of the rescue service has boosted Trust income.
- Generous Community donations of $568,000 were $100,000 higher than 2010 – some larger donations received are from bi-annual fundraising.
- Trust funded rescue capital equipment purchases $84,000.
- Trust administrative costs remain impressively low. Over 97 cents of every dollar earned or donated to the Trust wentdirectly to operating the rescue service and crew safety training. Only 2.7% was required for administration costs.