Future for helicopter (From Basingstoke Gazette)
When news happens, text BAZ and your photos or videos to 80360. Or contact us by email and phone.
Future for helicopter
12:00am Tuesday 28th August 2012 in Andover
WILTSHIRE’S Devizes-based police helicopter/air ambulance can keep flying for at least another year after the National Police Ambulance Service (NPAS) said the longestablished service can continue.
The NPAS has indicated that there will be no objection to Wiltshire Police and the Wiltshire Air Ambulance (WAA) continuing their longstanding collaboration at least until the end of 2014, according to a statement released by WAA.
The NPAS had originally intended that Wiltshire’s police air operations would be transferred to Filton, near Bristol, about ten miles outside Wiltshire, from next July.
However, thanks in part to consistent lobbying by the air ambulance charity and local MPs, these plans have been postponed, said the air ambulance charity.
Richard Youens, chairman of the WAA trustees, said that he was keen to maintain the existing arrangements with the police as long as possible and was much relieved by this development.
He said: “All indications are that the police/air ambulance alliance is popular in the county and we are confident that we will still have some form of working relationship with Wiltshire Police beyond December 2014.
“However, we recognise that from 2015, NPAS will impact on the way we do business.”
