Apologies for the lack of an update yesterday...the video clip shows what we were expecting this week...snow and possible helicopter evacuations...instead I found myself 'first arriving' at the National Park tornado...definitely not on the game plan...miraculously, there were no injuries at all, although a few hundred metres south may have been a different story... Support for the rescue helicopter bases at Taupo, Rotorua and Te Anau continues to build. It's almost scary that few if any contrary perspectives have been offered and that, more than anything, leads me to beleive that this was a quick bureaucratic solution slipped into the government tender process in the hope that no one would notice til it's a done deal...that stinks... But why else would there have been no prior consultation with affected communities and operators? Why else were affected MPs and other elected officials not - at the very least - given a pre-emptive heads-up on what was intended with these bases? Why else does NASO - after a week - remain silent? Why else does NASO not present the evidence that supports its plan? These are the questions that we would like the Minister for ACC, the Minister of Health and NASO itself to answer? I suspect that a number of other Ministers would like to know the answers to these questions now. The petition has just clipped 14,000 signatures. Well done, New Zealand!! But, sorry, it's not enough...so many New Zealanders come to our outdoor playgrounds in the Central North Island and the south of the South Island, that we need the bigger urban centres to jump in on this as well. More so when we remember that, under the new plan, bigger urban centres may (temporarily) lose their own rescue helicopter services as they cover the gasps once filled by Taupo, Rotorua and Te Anau are gone. I'm a big believer in sharing the realities of what's really involved in this work. Statistics versus reality is an ongoing battle up here: National Park Village only has a permanent population of 180 odd ( or maybe an odd 180!) from the 2013 census but at peak capacity can host 1300+ domestic and international visitors daily. We are generally resourced for the 180 not the 1300. That's our reality and it needs to change... In this fight, I suspect that the flunktionaries in NASO prefer to deal with their nice neat Excel pivot charts than the realities on the ground. NASO's lack of prior consultation and lack subsequent response leads me to think this is the case with its air ambulance proposal "...spins well on paper so let's run with it..." For us, rescue and air ambulance roles are intertwined, we use the helicopter to find them and then provide aid if required. If we lose one funding stream, we stand to lose the whole capability as the remaining funds streams won't be enough. In the end it comes down to what price we are prepared to put on a human life. Not just that of the patient but also those that may have to turn out as part of the plan b when the helicopter isn't available or can't get in now because of the weather and we have to use a ground party.... ...this is the hidden part of the rescue iceberg in New Zealand. Stats NZ doesn't collect the economic, social and personal costs of that volunteer time...less helicopters and less responsive helicopters equals even more people pulled from their jobs and families to cover the responsiveness and timeliness gap. Larger businesses may be able to absorb volunteers taking more time to contribute; but or our smaller businesses simply can't afford to consistently have staff pulled away. How many times does Mum or Dad have to be pulled away from family time before the cost starts to show? Before the NASO plan is endorsed as cost-effective, its true costs need to be calculated and shared publicly.... Keep sharing....so many communities are affected by this proposal. It's just who live here but every Kiwi who visits as well..please start to tap as best you can communities in the larger urban areas too...we have had a lot of buy-in from rural and sporting communities...we hope to have some air time on Radio Live over the weekend and possibly TV1 tomorrow... Silence is golden except when it's from NASO... airambulance@naso.govt.nz Drop them a line...