Please watch the video attached to this update. These are the children from National Park Primary School. This is the highest altitude school in New Zealand and the students know it...they're all very outdoorsy and in touch with this environment and its hazards. We're not playing the cure children card here (OK, just a tad)...yes, it's possible that some of these children may need the rescue helicopter one day; some of them may have used it already, almost certainly they all know someone who has. But it's also that it's their mums and dads, possibly big brothers and sisters too, who answer the call when someone needs assistance around the Volcanic Plateau. It's their family members called away from work, from the dinner table, or in the wee small hours of the morning. These are the Police officers, firefighters, ambulance officers, search team members who go out time after time, often in the worst conditions imaginable, to help others. These are the people who will be working on roadside casualties, sheltering hypothermia victims on the ice, tag-teaming for CPR who NASO's going to ask to wait just a little longer for that lifesaving helicopter. These are the people who are going to have to manually transport a patient down off the Crossing or from the Crater Rim because the helicopter from further away missed the weather window. These are the people who so desperately wait for the buzz of that rescue helicopter... But they can wait...can't they...? Tomorrow (Monday) morning, the Mayors of Ruapehu, Taupo, and Rotorua (for sure) and, because five angry mayors are better than three, hopefully the mayors of Thames-Coromandel and Southland as well, will confront the Minister of Health over the NASO plan. Now would be a good time to contact respective mayors in a demonstration of support, or if you cannot contact them directly, through respective councils. This is a big deal, taking on a Minister on his own turf. There'll be lots of subtle intimidation and spin going on. Our representatives will hear terms like 'wrong end of the stick', 'removing inefficiency', 'full consultation', 'understand your concern', 'better service overall', 'no place will be left unserviced' (Mayors, tick them off if you want, see who's the first to 'Bingo!'). As slick and subtle as it will be, our mayors want outcomes: - a guarantee that the current operating bases will be retained. - a guarantee that current level of service will be maintained. - access to the data on which NASO based its proposal. We had a great turn-out at the public meeting in Rotorua on Saturday, and a rally will be held in Whitianga on Saturday 5 may, at the rescue helicopter hangar at 3-30PM...more details to follow on this...Southland, what's happening down there? Speak to us...please... The petition stands at around 23,600 signatures; and will be over 25k by the end of the week. The more we share it, the louder our voice. This proposal affects all New Zealanders. You don't have to live here to be affected. You don't have to visit here to be affected. You just have to hope that it's not you one day, wondering where your rescue helicopter is, when it's been diverted to cover one of the discontinued rescue helicopter bases. We'll be on Morning Report tomorrow between 6AM and 9AM and will post links to that content on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/393625254440038/