By Sarah Mills

NDP wants more pilots operating air ambulances

Jan 15, 2011 | 6:39 AM

The NDP wants more pilots in the sky operating the air ambulance fleet.

A government report that came out in November 2009 states that a single pilot operating an emergency services aircraft is 1.5 times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident.

The recommendation is for two pilots in each plane.

The NDP's Dwain Lingenfelter says it goes beyond that.

“When it comes to the administration of the air ambulance, the report says a lot of confusion and bad accountability within the operation, that needs to be fixed,” said Lingenfelter.

Raiders AGM

Raiders impact on Prince Albert local economy continues to go up: AGM report

5h ago

Court proceedings

'The impact of this trauma will echo for generations': court case surrounding La Ronge woman's death reaches conclusion

Dec 11, 2024

Going Global

P.A.'s Zablocki named to Team Canada for U18 Women's World Championships

Dec 11, 2024

Lingenfelter is questioning why the government hasn't addressed these issues raised in its own report.
 

The government says it has been working since 2009 when the report came out to respond to the recommendations within it.

It is in the beginning stages of the recruitment and training of more pilots so that each air ambulance plane has two people in the cockpit.

Transport Canada and the manufacturer of the plane only recommend one, but as Saskatchewan is the only province still operating on that basis, and the findings of the government report, it felt it necessary to make the changes.

Additional pilots will mean about $1,000,000 more a year on the annual operating cost of the air ambulance service of $9,100,000.

news@panow.com