Premier Gladys Berejiklian joined representatives from Toll Group and the NSW Air Ambulance to cut the ribbon on the facility, which has been providing patient rescue, retrieval and treatment services in Sydney for past 12 months, on January 24.
In December 2014, the NSW Government announced Toll Group had won a 10-year contract to operate the helicopter ambulance operations for the state’s Southern Zone, following a tender process.
This contact was part of the NSW Government’s new state-wide Helicopter Retrieval Network.
Toll has eight Leonardo AW139s based at Bankstown, Orange, Wollongong and Canberra to fulfil the contract, which commenced operations in January 2017. The company said in a statement it had completed more than 2,000 aeromedical missions completed across all Southern Zone bases, including 1,200 from Bankstown alone.
“The communities of NSW and ACT can be assured that they have the safest and most capable aviation operation supporting their ambulance care,” Toll Helicopters general manager Mark Delaney said in a statement.
“We have extensive experience in helicopter services, and our pilots and aircrew are some of the most highly experienced and trained aviation professionals in the country.”
The NSW Ambulance and Toll Rescue Helicopter Base at Bankstown also includes the ACE Training Centre.
Channel Seven posted a video of the facility on Twitter.
Bankstown: A $25 million nerve centre for the state's aero paramedics has been officially opened at Bankstown. It's where they train for dangerous rescue missions which can mean being sent out anywhere at a moment's notice. @freya_cole @tollambulance #Bankstown #7News pic.twitter.com/CknLHsvapG
— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) January 24, 2018
The purpose-built facility features a full flight AW139 simulator, as well as specialist medical training rooms and helicopter simulation technology such as the Helicopter Underwater Emergency Training (HUET) theatre.
“Already we are considered by emergency care providers around the world as the benchmark aeromedical care provider by which they measure their operations and standard of care,” NSW Ambulance chief executive Dominic Morgan said.
“This facility ensures every aeromedical staff member we employ will be trained to the highest possible standards.”