New Irish search and rescue contract to be signed

CHC Helicopter was recently awarded a 10-year, €500 million contract to provide search and rescue (SAR) services on behalf of the Irish Coast Guard. Ireland’s minister for transport, Noel Dempsey joined senior representatives from the Irish Coast Guard and CHC Ireland to officially sign the contract.
The contract, will provide SAR services from bases at Waterford, Dublin, Shannon and Sligo from 2012 onwards. CHC already provides SAR services from these bases, but the new contract will see the existing fleet of S-61N aircraft replaced with newer Sikorsky S-92A helicopters that are custom fitted for SAR work.
Irish Coast Guard director Chris Reynolds commented: “The Irish Coast Guard provides a diverse range of maritime and land-based SAR activities, ranging from national emergency situations such as the recent flooding seen in Ireland last winter to medevac from our islands, mountains, fishing vessels and incidents involving leisure activity.” He continued: “It is essential we have the right stepped increase in capabilities going forward for the next decade. We are very confident in selecting CHC Helicopter that our decision will continue to deliver excellence, providing the most efficient and effective SAR service for Ireland.”
Mark Kelly, managing director of CHC Ireland, said that Irish citizens could expect to see many positive changes: “Over the next decade, this contract will offer a number of service improvements including the ability to deliver a paramedic to any SAR incident within an hour anywhere on our coastline, ensuring much faster treatment of casualties.”

Picture: an S-92 operated by CHC for the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

For the full story, see Waypoint issue 19.