Southern Alberta community supports Air Ambulance – but hopes they never catch a ride!
In late June the latest HALO Air Ambulance helicopter -- recently added to the fleet -- will mark its first day in operation in Southern Alberta -- a big deal to the surrounding farming community as more than 50% of calls are related to farming and farm properties.
HALO Air Ambulance has grown from a bold vision into a vital, life-saving service for Southern Alberta. What began as a grassroots effort driven by community members, aviation professionals, and first responders has become the foundation for emergency medical care in the region.
The remoteness of the region, the lack of established landing strips, and the limited availability of other emergency air ambulance helicopters was the inspiration for HALO Air Ambulance which began in 2007 with the dream of a day when it would have an air ambulance helicopter dedicated to Southern Alberta.
When asked about the types of agriculture accidents the HALO air ambulance sees, Paul Carolan, Chief Executive Officer for HALO Air Ambulance, says there tend to be trends in the types of calls they respond to. The trend this year seems to be injuries caused by cattle.
“It is shocking how much damage the cattle can do to the human body, and they can be quite intentional,” says Carolan, who is responsible for the overall day-to-day operations and administration of the HALO program.
He notes that, unfortunately, they also see lots of auger and bailer accidents as well as tractor rollovers.
One local fire chief shared with the HALO CEO, that when he knows HALO is dispatched, he has peace of mind that everything that could be done is being done to save a life. Regardless of the outcome, the fire chief says it helps his team recover from the incident because they know all necessary measures were taken to save the life.
Farmers might be surprised to learn that up until three years ago, HALO received no government funding. “In fact, 4-H kids use to provide more funding than the government.”
Indeed, a few weeks ago the 4-H club “donor steer fundraising” campaign raised $20,000 for HALO. One of several events held each year to keep the HALO ambulances in the air serving the community.
The good news is the government now provides approximately 40% of HALO’s budget.
So far, HALO has fulfilled up to 200 calls of service in a year, but many in the community believe the service is under-utililized and could be called in for rescues, up to 8-times more often.
HALO is not just an air ambulance, it responds to a variety of calls for service, including emergency medical scene calls, critical care inter-facility patient transfers, fire department, law enforcement, and search and rescue incidents, as well as all-hazard disaster responses. This multi-purpose use ensures the rural and remote communities in Southern Alberta have all the support they need.
HALO relies on the kindness and generosity of community-minded individuals for donations, to donate to HALO, click here.
Watch the unveliing ceremony for the helicopter as it joins the HALO fleet.