Following a brief ceremony involving dignitaries and former patients on April 30, the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS) organization opened its base in Regina and is ready to provide helicopter air ambulance services for critically ill and injured patients in southern Saskatchewan.
The STARS air ambulance service officially took flight in southern Saskatchewan at noon on April 30. Health Minister Don McMorris boarded the rescue chopper that morning for a final practice flight around Regina.
"This is a historic day for Saskatchewan," McMorris said. "People across southern Saskatchewan now have the comfort of knowing that in an emergency, help is closer at hand than ever before."
The Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society helicopter can rapidly transport one critically injured patient or two people with non-critical injuries.
Star-9, the first BK117 medically-equipped helicopter in Saskatchewan, was unable to come to the Weyburn Airport on April 27 due to stormy weather and a number of Weyburn's Grade 5 and 6 students were disappointed that their trip to the airport was cancelled and that they have lost their chance to see the helicopter up close.
Each helicopter crew includes two pilots, a critical-care nurse and an advanced care paramedic. An emergency physician trained in pre-hospital care and transportation is also available by telephone for every emergency response and travels in the helicopter whenever medically necessary.
Based at the Regina airport, STARS has 20 pilots, paramedics and flight nurses. The base will initially provide daily service from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. to prepare staff for 24-hour operations, which begin this summer. STARS phases in base openings to increase comfort level with providing service in an air medical environment when the majority of clinical and aviation staff are new. This provides for the safest environment for patients and the STARS team.
"Together with our partners in emergency services and health care, we will work to enhance access for critically ill and injured patients," said Andrea Robertson, STARS President & CEO. "We appreciate the support of the Government of Saskatchewan, our corporate supporters and the community for making this a reality."
Since signing a service agreement with the Saskatchewan Government in April 2011 to provide helicopter air ambulance services from bases in Regina and Saskatoon, STARS has been working closely with government, corporate donors, and partners in health care and emergency services to facilitate the launch of both bases. The Regina base is the first to open in the province. Another helicopter will be launched in Saskatoon in the fall and a third will arrive in 2013.
Several major donors have provided contributions to the STARS Saskatchewan program including Crescent Point Energy, Mosaic, PotashCorp, Enbridge, Enerplus, Husky Energy and Rawlco Radio.
STARS is a charitable, non-profit organization that provides rapid and specialized emergency medical care and transportation for critically ill and injured patients. STARS has flown more than 22,000 missions across Alberta and eastern British Columbia since 1985 from bases in Calgary, Edmonton and Grande Prairie. In 2011, STARS began responding to emergencies in Manitoba from a base located in Winnipeg.
