Mountain View County council has been given an update on the activities and plans of the STARS air ambulance service. The review came during the recent regularly scheduled council meeting.
Glenda Farnden, STARS Foundation senior municipal relations liaison, appeared before council as a delegation.
“We are bringing the highest level of emergency care to rural Albertans,” said Farnden. “It’s very much a united effort. You are very much a valued partner.”
STARS continues to work very closely with local fire departments and EMS, including in this region, she said. She called them “chain of survival partners.”
Mountain View County provided $2 per capita to STARS in 2018.
She presented up-to-date statistics on STARS flight response calls in the region.
In 2018 there were a total of 56 responses: three near Carstairs, four near Cremona, 10 Didsbury inter-facility, three near Didsbury, 10 Olds inter-facility, four Olds scene, 14 Sundre-inter-facility, six near Sundre and search and rescue, and two near Water Valley.
Since 2014 a total of 312 response flights (60 missions per year average) have been made in the region.
Mission related costs only based on 60 missions per year represents more than $425,000 in service value, she said.
Farnden also outlined some up-to-date STARS financial statistics. Last year Alberta government funding totalled $7,089,000, total operating costs/capital expenditures were $38 million, STARS gross fundraising totalled $17,555,000, Alberta lottery funding totalled $10,263,000, calendar fundraising totalled $1,085,000, and site registration/emergency contact centre $3,105,000.
STARS is planning to update its aircraft fleet, including having one type of helicopter across the board, she said.
Plans are to have nine new Airbus H145 helicopters in the fleet at a cost of $13 million per machine, including five in Alberta and three in Saskatchewan.
STARS provides a vital service to rural Alberta residents and visitors, said Coun. Al Kemmere, who is also the president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta Association.
Coun. Greg Harris, a former first responder, says STARS has been a great step forward in emergency response in rural Alberta.
Reeve Bruce Beattie commended STARS staff for their efforts.
Farnden says she plans to visit all town councils in the county to ask for support. Area towns are not currently supporting STARS, she said, “but in fairness they haven’t been asked,” she said.
Council accepted Farnden’s report as information.
