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Search forSecond air ambulance set for take off
Friday, May 16, 2008, 07:00
The chopper, which has already been in service, was officially welcomed to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance team during an event at Hull's KC Stadium yesterday.
Depending on the care they need a patient carried by either ambulance will only ever be between 10 and 15 minutes away from hospital treatment.
The first ambulance, based at Leeds Bradford International Airport, has carried more than 2,000 patients since it started flying eight years ago.
Now the second ambulance, based at Sheffield City Airport, will also be on hand to help.
The two MD902 explorer helicopters can reach up to 145mph and cover the whole of the region.
It takes them just 12 minutes to reach Hull from Sheffield and 17 from Leeds with a tailwind.
Paramedic Pat Greakin splits his time between the air ambulances and those on the ground.
Today he said: “Having a second ambulance means during our busy times we'll be able to make more jobs.
“If two jobs happen at the same time the second air ambulance can go.
“It means we can help a lot more people.”
But charity bosses warned the public's support is needed to keep the two air ambulances flying.
As much as £2.5m a year is needed to make sure the helicopters can take to the air at a moment's notice, and the charity works to raise £6,900 a day in donations.
At least one of the helicopters is on call 365 days a year and each carries a pilot and two paramedics.
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