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The Rapid Relief Team (RRT) has donated more than $40,000 to fund two new sets of night vision goggles for the Northland Westpac Rescue Helicopters, helping crews operate more safely during nighttime emergency missions.
The $40,573 donation will support the Whangārei-based rescue service, which flies around 1,100 missions each year, with about one-third taking place at night. The new equipment will help pilots identify hazards such as trees and power lines when landing in remote locations, improving safety for both crews and patients.
Rapid Relief Team Whangārei team leader Cameron Whitehouse said the organisation was committed to supporting the Northland Westpac Rescue Helicopters, having raised around $20,000 through community barbecues over the years before making its latest $40,573 donation towards new night vision goggles.
“Northland Westpac Rescue Helicopter crews are called out in some of the most challenging circumstances, often when people need urgent care the most, so it is vital that they have the right equipment to operate safely and effectively,” Whitehouse said.
“Our donation was made possible by the generous support of our donors, who, alongside our volunteers, allow RRT to give back to local communities in Northland and across the country.
“Whether providing emergency relief, community support, or backing frontline services like Northland Westpac Rescue Helicopters, Rapid Relief Team serves people in times of need and always strives to make a positive difference wherever we can.”
Northland Westpac Rescue Helicopters Whangārei-based pilots and paramedics are grateful for RRT’s support of the new NVG roll-out.
“When we’re out on a mission and are responding to an unknown landing zone such as a paddock in rural Northland, they give us the ability to watch out for trees, wires and all manner of other hazards that would be much more difficult to see without them.
“This means we can operate more safely and get into landing zones we may otherwise not be able to land in,” they said.
Northland Westpac Rescue Helicopter fundraising and marketing manager Jan Hewitt said the new night vision goggles were critical to the service, with Northland crews flying around 1,100 missions each year, about one-third of them at night.
“The support and passion the Rapid Relief Team show towards Northland Westpac Rescue Helicopters year in, year out, is greatly appreciated by the crews and our community,” she said.
“Our crews have been putting the new NVG’s to good use and the fact is all our night flying is conducted using NVG’s – for safety number one. There would be plenty of night jobs that would be extremely difficult to complete without NVGs, like locating a boat or light sources offshore at night from kilometres away.”
