Members of the Rotary Club of Bangor supported a recent bucket collection for the Air Ambulance in Northern Ireland.
Air Ambulance NI, is a charity in Northern Ireland. They work in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS), to provide the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) for the region.
Serious or life-threatening situations can happen to anyone at any time and on average, every single day in Northern Ireland, two individual finds themselves in critical need of AANI.
The charity’s operational helicopter carries a crew compiling pilot, doctor, and paramedic, 365 days of the year operating for twelve hours every day. They attend some of the most traumatic medical incidents across the province and are dedicated to delivering the very best possible pre-hospital critical care, both at the scene and whilst transferring the patient to the most appropriate hospital for their specific injuries.
In September 2022, Air Ambulance NI introduced two AW109 Helicopters, provided by Sloane Helicopters. The AW109 helicopter can get anywhere in the province in approximately twenty-five minutes and the rapid response is vital in an emergency situation. If a patient reaches hospital within the Golden Hour (60 minutes after their injury) their chances of survival are dramatically increased.
What is not widely known is that AANI is a charity. Each day costs it costs £8,200 and £3 million is needed each year to keep the air ambulance service operational. They rely entirely on support from the public and local businesses, including Gifts in Wills.