The STARS are coming out over Estevan.
The Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society introductory session for Estevan and area personnel will be held on the evening of November. 30 in the St. Joseph's Hospital auditorium for two representatives from fire departments, emergency medical services, municipal police and RCMP, conservation officers and first responders plus a couple of representatives from local and municipal governments.
The information session will be conducted by Ryan O'Meara of the STARS Air Ambulance from Edmonton.
The information nights are being held around the Sun Country Health Region as a preliminary step toward the establishment of air evacuation plans from various acute care centres via helicopter since that air rescue service is about to be introduced to Saskatchewan.
The Sun Country board of directors were informed that information sessions will be held in Weyburn November 28 and in Oxbow November 29 followed by the Estevan meeting the next night.
Other training sessions are slated for Bengough, Arcola and Kipling from December 12-14 respectively.
Interim president and CEO Marga Cugnet said the protocol for using the STARS service will be introduced and she expected that certain health centres will be asked to build a helipad to better facilitate the helicopter. She said she wasn't certain if Weyburn would be asked to build one since the logistics of moving an emergency patient from Weyburn to Regina might still be better served through a road ambulance in terms of evacuation times due to its closer proximity to Regina. She added, however, that question would best be answered by those who will provide the services.
The helicopter emergency evacuation service will complement the traditional air ambulance and road ambulances that are deployed around the province and will be used according to assessments made by emergency responders and medical personnel.
The service, which is branching out from its base in Alberta, was announced by the Saskatchewan government shortly after it was learned that the province's oil industry would be key supporters and were willing to provide significant funds for its implementation.
