Auckland Rescue Helicopter

[Bruce]

I see Susan "How much do I Earn" Wood launched a great new fundraising initiative on Friday in support of the Auckland (and other regional) Rescue Helicopters. You host a Barbeque, charge people to come, and give your proceeds to "Barbeque Resque" who will distribute the money to you Local rescue helicopter. You register to go in a draw to win celebrity visits etc as well. Sounds like an excellent idea, and a great cause to support. The plan is to replace the Auckland Heli with a bigger, newer better one by December next year, which will take about 7 Million Dollars.
What would they replace the existing BK117 with? perhaps a Bell 412? A Mil 9? it would still have to be compact enough to get into the confined spaces the current one does, and have Surf and mountain rescue, winch lifting and multiple casualty capability. Perhaps they want an NH90?
The other thing that bugs me is this, why is it that such a service that has proven to save lives and is such an integral part of modern trauma treatment, has to go to the public in order to upgrade its machinery? Forget buying Helen a personal Jet, how about central government putting some decent funding into these services? With the "paper" value of a human life set at approx 2 million $ for risk / benefit analysis, $7 million on a new chopper is an entirely reasonable ask considering the number of lives saved. - Who do we have to lobby?

[corsair67]

Don't you have too many rescue helicopters over there anyway? ;D

I thought Helen wanted to get rid of some of these because there are more rescue helicopters per head of population in NZ than anywhere else in the world? Maybe this is the way the Govt will do it: starve them all of funding, and only the fittest will survive?

Maybe the RNZAF will go back to being New Zealand's premier rescue service again?

[Dave Homewood]

This is a good idea. The rescue helicopters have always fundraised and held their hands out for donations/sponsorship. Many of them also do charter work outside of rescue work to pay the bills. Some live off pokey machines. Some of the people in charge of them have got into serious hot water for being innovative in fundraising. When you think about it, it is really appaulling considering how much the Government wastes on useless ephemera, like cultural courses for Government workers, etc.

I seriously do not think anyone is considering buying Helen a jet by the way. She's the only one who supported that stupid idea. Remember after that fiasco of the high speed motorcade when she suggested this, she had the gaul to admit she hates rugby and didn't even want to get to the game? Well, tonight I see she and Colin Meads are now off overseas to spearhead a campaign to bring the 2011 Rugby World Cup here. She's a two faced lying bitch. How much is her trip costing the country? Think how many injured rugby players or high speed crash victims could be choppered to hospital for that!!

[steve]

Rescue chopper services in NZ do need sorting out. Per head of population we do have to many(apparently) and the funding arrangements are dogey at times. I spent some years in the 1980s as a ambulance paramedic on the choppers and appreciated their value over the sea bee air amphibians. However .. why on earth ,as you state should such a service be funded by cake stall mentality.....enables more money for the bludgers and socialist agendas maybe?? ...o/t who realises that little NZ is the only country in the world with a Ministry of Disarmerment...whoop..de...do...and we pay for it!

[corsair67]

High Fives, Dave! Sounds like you hate Helen as much as I do! ;D

Oh well, at least she makes Johnnie look good!