Tait Radios in Air Rescue Missions

Tait radios will soon be used for air rescue mission communications throughout Canterbury and the West Coast - Tait Electronics has donated $10,000 worth of radio equipment to the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust.

The radios will be fitted on the two Christchurch-based helicopters and one fixed-wing plane as well as the Greymouth based helicopter - all of which carried out 700 missions in the last 12 months.

"Good communication is vital in life-and-death situations," said Simon Duncan who manages the helicopters' operation. "The chopper has to pack the right kit to help with the right emergency before it flies, so the more reliable the communications before take-off, the better. It's a little like Thunderbirds where we have to decide what rescue pod to take with us!

"But the picture at the rescue scene can become clearer once we are in the air," continues Simon. "Quite often though, we might not find out about the exact nature of the emergency until we get there. Just last week we got the message that a German tourist had fallen and hurt his leg, when we got there we found that it was a British tourist who was unconscious and seriously hurt."

According to Simon, having better radio communication range, coverage and reliability on the outbound journey will mean the rescue team arrives on the scene more prepared for what they will encounter. "And on the return leg, we can liaise with the ambulance and hospital teams about the condition of the patient that much more effectively for a smoother hand-off and better care."

"Tait radios have earned a first-class reputation for reliability and our equipment can often be found being used to co-ordinate emergency responses between police, medical and fire services," said Michael Chick, Managing Director of Tait Electronics. "We're delighted to be able to help such a wonderful cause!"