Emergency services defunding proposal sets off alarm bells

Northland Rescue Helicopter critical care paramedics Leah Baker and Josh Raravula. The helicopter service carries out an average of 1000-1200 missions a year. Photo, NEST. Inset, NEST chair Paul Ahlers: “The service is just too important to let it fall over.” Emergency services in Northland are urging the community to speak out in support of continued council funding for operations that include flying critically ill or injured patients to hospital and saving lives at sea. They say that if Northland Regional Council (NRC) goes ahead with a proposal in its draft 2024-2034 long-term plan to axe a...