Northland Rescue Helicopter

About

A charitable trust established to provide a dedicated emergency rescue and air ambulance helicopter service for the people of Northland.

Story

We provide the people of Northland with an excellent, safe, effective and efficient service, and will do so by maintaining its present course – one of providing first class flight crews aboard top class aircraft.

We know about Northland’s unsealed roads, our changeable weather and the fact that our people live over a wide-spread area that’s often difficult to access quickly by road. We’re also aware of the increased risk of death and serious injury caused when medical treatment is delayed – all of which makes Northland’s Electricity Rescue Helicopter service so essential.

We not only provide rescue services at accident scenes, but we also do a lot of inter-hospital patient transfers. We specialise in transporting NICU and PIQU babies and code stemi patients too.

The emergency rescue helicopters are crewed on every mission by either one or two members of a full-time team of St John Flight Intensive Care Paramedics (ICPs) who play an integral role in providing the medical care and treatment to all sick and injured patients transported.

The Trust is supported by the generous contributions made by local sponsors, individuals, families, businesses and organisations. A Board of Trustees, all of which are Northlanders, governs NEST and oversees its strategic direction and management.

We have transported nearly 17,000 people over the past 26 years. Over the last 12 months we have flown 735 missions and transported 800 people to hospitals or medical facilities around the north. On average, our helicopters are in the air twice a day, saving or making a huge difference to the lives of everyone we carry. Most people in Northland have a loved one or someone they care about, that have been flown by NEST.