HALO TURNS 10
– Southern Alberta helicopter rescue unit celebrates a decade in the air
HALO commemorated 10 years in operation with a special birthday celebration at Safety Buzz in Dunmore on Tuesday. HALO board chair Dale Thacker said he was grateful for the ongoing level of support from the local area and communities it serves.
“A lot of us didn’t think we would last this long, and we were afraid the community would get tired of supporting us. But you know what? It has only accelerated.”
Grant Fletcher has been piloting the HALO chopper since the organization’s inception. He says he wouldn’t have stayed with it so long if he didn’t absolutely believe in what he is doing.
“I think it is a tremendous service,” he said. “In the 10 years, we have been involved in some real life-saving situations. You are always doing good for somebody. That’s why I stay with it.”
Paramedic Amanda Delorier has also been flying with HALO since the beginning. She said nothing in the region compares with HALO in terms of being able to get to an accident scene quickly.
“I would say it is a good way of getting mode of transportation and advanced life support to the patient in the quickest manner ... And that can be the difference between life and death.”
HALO does not receive any base funding from the provincial government. It runs mainly on donations. And it has an ongoing dispute with STARS, a competing air ambulance service, which the provincial government put in charge of HALO’s dispatch services, said Cypress County Coun. Garry Lentz. Lentz said HALO deserves to be supported properly by the provincial government.
“I am really hoping to see the dispatch program corrected,” he stated. “I think it is not working right with STARS dispatching for HALO. That needs to be changed, and the province needs to come up with base funding. There is a lot more that needs to be done ... I have always been a strong supporter of the HALO program. It’s very important to our rural areas.”
HALO is looking forward to the next 10 years of service, added Thacker, and was looking at opportunities to expand its reach in the future, perhaps into Saskatchewan.
“I think we are the best deal in town. We are run by volunteers. We are running on 10 cents on the dollar of what STARS costs. I think the last 10 years have been amazing.”