History
The Service began life as The Sunshine Coast Helicopter Rescue Service Limited in November 1979. Local businessman Des Scanlan, alongside other local business people and heads of Emergency Services helped establish the Service with the purchase of a single helicopter; a Bell 206 Jetranger, and operated from a base at the Big Cow on the Bruce Highway at Yandina, Queensland. In 1983, the base was moved to Maroochydore Airport (now the Sunshine Coast Airport). The Services's operations were extended in 1989 with the purchase of a second helicopter, a Bell 206L Longranger, with the help of a A$450,000 grant from the Queensland Government.
Major sponsorship from 1979 onwards came either directly or indirectly from the Bank of New South Wales and its successor, the Westpac Banking Corporation (now Westpac). The energy distribution corporation Energex, then known as the South East Queensland Electricity Board (SEQEB), began sponsorship in 1994 (the Service would be renamed Energex Community Rescue Helicopter in 1998 following SEQEB's name change). The financial assistance from Energex and its customers (Energex consumers could nominate a donation to the Service from their quarterly utility bill) allowed the Service to purchase a third helicopter - a BK117 - in 1997.
The Rescue Service was able to broaden its operations when, in March 1998, an additional base was set up at the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) Aerial Ambulance Hangar in Bundaberg, initially for a three-year trial period. In July 2001, with the realisation of the need for a second operational base, the Bundaberg Service was established on a permanent basis. At the same time the Minister for Department of Emergency Services increased the Queensland Emergency Service grants by millions of dollars a year for the Service to provide bigger and better helicopters for the Bundaberg Base.
In 2006, having outgrown the Service's existing facilities, and thanks to a federal government grant of A$500,000 as well as donations from sponsors and the local community, the Sunshine Coast operation moved to a new purpose-built hangar within the Sunshine Coast Airport site. A year later, in 2007, Energex announced a record A$1 million-per-year sponsorship of the Service over the next three years in order to maintain the high level of service.
The Service is professionally run, with 21 operational aircrew, 4 administrative staff and a number of dedicated volunteers, and works in close co-operation with Queensland Emergency Services and other Queensland community-based helicopter providers to provide helicopter rescue cover in south-east Queensland to assist Queensland Police, Queensland Health, Queensland Ambulance Service, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, the State Emergency Service (SES), AusSAR and other services and organisations, such as the Coastguard. To ensure a no-cost operation, finances are obtained through sponsorship, donations, government subsidy and charter operations. All assets of the Service belong to the community.
In 2009, Energex Community Rescue Helicopter became the AGL Action Rescue Helicopter.
Read more about this topic: Energex Rescue Helicopter
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