Date: 26 Apr 2004
Time: 15:06
The non-profit German air rescue organisation DRF (Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht e.V.) will soon be flying cross-border air rescue missions to the south of Denmark. As there is no air rescue system in Denmark to date, DRF told www.air-rescuetek.com, Danish authorities were particularly interested in the cross-border air rescue concept.
A DRF rescue helicopter, soon to be stationed in the German village of Niebüll/Schleswig-Holstein, will be able to reach emergency sites in southern Denmark after alert.
There are currently three rescue helicopters stationed in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Two years ago, health insurance companies began an analysis of the air rescue situation in Schleswig-Holstein in an attempt to prove that only two helicopters were necessary instead of three.
In the meantime, the future of air rescue in this region was decided when representatives of the Ministry for Social Affairs, regional districts, helicopter operators and representatives of the health insurance companies recently came to the decision that all three helicopters would continue to fly rescue missions. DRF operates two of these three helicopters. The helicopter with the call sign ‘Christoph 42’ is stationed in Rendsburg. ‘Christoph 52’ is stationed in Itzehoe but will soon be moved to Niebüll. The third helicopter, with the call sign ‘Christoph 12’, is operated by BGS (the German Federal Border Guard) and is stationed in Eutin.
Both DRF air rescue centers in Rendsburg and Niebüll will be provided with a BK 117 helicopter, with full medical equipment and staffed with experienced pilots, emergency physicians and paramedics. Both helicopters will be flying emergency missions as well as inter-hospital transfers.