STARS marks saving lives for 30 years
Emergency helicopter bases will open doors to public this weekend
A vital component of Alberta’s health- care system, STARS is marking 30 years of responding to medical emergencies around the province, and in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
As part of the celebrations, the agency is throwing open the doors to its bases in Calgary, Edmonton and Grande Prairie. The public can go behind the scenes at a STARS base and tour the Emergency Link Centre that co-ordinates all the missions, or get up close to one of the high-tech helicopters.
On hand will be STARS pilots and air medical crew members as well as some of the patients whose lives were saved through the service.
The Calgary open house, part of the annual Doors Open YYC weekend, is Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1441 Aviation Park N.E. with food trucks on-site.
To see the list of other sites avail- able to tour this weekend, go to doorsopenyyc.org.
Here are five things about STARS to ponder before you go.
HOW MANY MISSIONS HAS IT FLOWN, AND HOW MANY PATIENTS?
In 2014-15, STARS flew 3,084 missions, carrying only critically ill or injured patients. Since 1985, STARS has been on more than 30,000 missions. In Alberta alone, there were 1,839 missions during 2014-15 with the most to Red Deer (68). Some of the most remote or furthest Alberta communities flown to include Bluesky, Frog Lake and Island Lake in the northern half and Bow Island and Beaver Mines in the south.
WHAT TYPE OF HELICOPTERS ARE USED?
The fleet is composed of eight Airbus Helicopters BK117 and three AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters, which have been specially outfitted for EMS operations. The Airbus flies at 225 km/ h and the AgustaWestland can reach speeds of 278 km/ h. At any given time, one helicopter is the primary, inservice aircraft at each base and the others are backup support, undergoing maintenance or being used in training.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO OPERATE STARS EACH YEAR? WHERE DOES THE FUNDING COME FROM?
Approximately 24 per cent of Alberta STARS missions costs are funded by Alberta Health Services and the rest comes from fundraising and community partnerships. It costs about $10 million each year in operating expenses for each base with an average flight costing $5,400. Night vision goggle equipped helmets costs $2,700 and one Airbus BK117 helicopter costs $5 million.
WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF CALL?
STARS responds to both intrafacility transfers and scene calls. In Alberta, the No. 1 type of incidents are medical emergencies followed by vehicle-related. One of the most involved scene calls recently was a June quading accident in a remote area near Beaverlodge. A man was hurt and his relative had to use a winch cable to pull out tree stumps so STARS could land a good distance away. The pilot, nurse and paramedic had to manoeuvre the injured man out from between a stump and tree, strap him to a backboard and walk 20 minutes as the relative slowly drove him back to the helicopter.
WHAT IS ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS CALLS STARS HAS RESPONDED TO?
On Nov. 19. 2010, STARS was called to a car crash near Neerlandia. Stephanie Wierenga’s car was crushed by a semi- trailer hauling two combines. While firefighters worked to free her, a STARS paramedic stayed with the unconscious woman and helped EMS treat her. STARS then flew Wierenga to Edmonton. She had both legs amputated, lost fingers and suffered a brain injury but is living independently.