National Search and Rescue Aviation Forum

Northern Rescue, operators of the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopters was proud to support Maritime New Zealand’s Rescue Coordination Centre (RCCNZ) and New Zealand Police in hosting the Search and Rescue Aviation Forum at Ardmore Base on 24–25 June.

The two-day forum brought together representatives from across New Zealand’s search and rescue sector, including aeromedical helicopter operators, Health New Zealand (Te Whatu Ora), Hato Hone St John Airdesk, the New Zealand Defence Force, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ), the Civil Aviation Authority, Coastguard New Zealand, Land Search and Rescue (LandSAR), and commercial helicopter providers.

The forum focused on strengthening collaboration across the sector and advancing a joint work programme between Maritime New Zealand, New Zealand Police and Health New Zealand to ensure the effective coordination and delivery of Search and Rescue aviation throughout New Zealand.

As part of the programme, our crew demonstrated their specialist water rescue capability and showcased the base’s state-of-the-art winch simulator training facility, providing delegates with an insight into the training and expertise required to perform complex rescue missions.

Northern Rescue was pleased to welcome colleagues from across the country for two days of productive discussions, knowledge sharing and collaboration, helping to strengthen New Zealand’s Search and Rescue aviation capability for the future.

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