Bristow Ireland teams have passed another major milestone towards delivering the next generation of Search and Rescue aviation services in the country. Following a robust application process and a series of detailed assessments Bristow Ireland is now recognised at Paramedic level as a Clinical Practice Guideline Service provider by the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council.
This means medical teams on the specialist AW189 helicopters are cleared to work to national clinical guidelines, delivering the right standards of lifesaving care to patients when the service gets underway. Bristow’s SAR Medical Manager, Mike Henson, said: ” This was an important piece of work and we have proved to the Irish regulator that we have the processes, skills and capabilities in place to deliver the right lifesaving medical care to people in urgent need.”
Transition of the first base to the new Irish Coast Guard Aviation contract is scheduled to take place later this year. In February the company was awarded its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the IAA, marking a significant step towards commencing Search and Rescue services on behalf of the Irish Coast Guard.
To gain AOC approval, Bristow Ireland was required to demonstrate that its AW189 aircraft will meet the Irish regulator’s requirements for safe and compliant operations; submit detailed documentation to show that it can safely manage continued airworthiness; demonstrate that it can safely operate the AW189 to the required standards; and carry out a proving flight with the AW189 in Ireland.
