An additional helicopter has joined the state's emergency aerial fleet, providing a boost in response times and operational capacity to help South Australians in need.
The Bell 412 EP helicopter – part of a $150 million State Government commitment to bolster emergency helicopter services – is the third helicopter now available to SA Ambulance Service (SAAS) for critical emergency response.
The new addition will be configured for medical operations like the current aircraft – capable of travelling at 220km/h and with a range of up to 600km.
The SAAS aircraft joins the State Rescue Helicopter Service (SRHS), a 24/7 service shared with SAPOL which specialises in aeromedical retrievals from rural hospitals and accident scenes, search and rescue missions and airborne law enforcement.
It follows SAPOL receiving a new faster and quieter helicopter, Airbus H145, in July as part of the Government's investment to support community safety.
The brand new twin-engine SAPOL helicopter, equipped with the latest technology to tackle crime, replaced the existing aircraft which was more than 30 years old.
All four aircraft – the additional Bell 412 helicopter, two existing primary medical aircraft and new SAPOL helicopter – will be delivered by Babcock Australasia.
The expanded aerial fleet has seen four new pilots hired to deliver an extra line of flying, enabling three helicopters to be airborne at once.
New engineering resources and replacement of outdated equipment are also included in the Government's investment.
Each year on average, the SRHS aircraft fly more than 1,400 combined missions and over 2,200 flying hours.
Images and footage of the Bell 412 EP helicopter are available here.
As put by Dan Cregan
Increasing first responders' ability to get to an incident quickly and render assistance will help save lives.
The additional helicopter delivered in this investment is an important boost for our emergency response capability across the state.
As put by Health and Wellbeing Minister Chris Picton
The Malinauskas Labor Government is committed to improving ambulance response times, whether on the road or in the skies.
This extra helicopter will help our amazing first responders reach South Australians in emergencies even faster, no matter where they are in the state.
As put by Babcock Australasia CEO Andrew Cridland
This Bell 412 helicopter is the second of two aircraft provided by Babcock this year, as part of our $150 million contract extension with the SRHS. Its addition to the fleet will enhance aircraft availability during peak periods as well as relieve pressure on existing services.
Babcock is committed to fostering a safe and secure world by implementing innovative aviation solutions and collaborating closely with governments, private enterprise and communities to meet their needs, and we take great pride in knowing that our delivery of this aircraft to schedule will result in prompt assistance to those in need.
As put by SA Ambulance Service CEO Rob Elliott
With the Bell 412 joining our fleet, we are better equipped to meet the growing demand for aeromedical services in South Australia. This boost to our operational capability will make a real difference in the lives of those who need urgent care.
Our dedicated rescue and retrieval clinicians perform around 850 rescue and emergency retrieval taskings each year, providing life-saving care to the critically ill and injured.
