RACQ LifeFlight Rescue’s westernmost helicopter base has clocked up 15 years of delivering critical aeromedical care across the North West region.
In 2007, a rescue helicopter service was founded in Mount Isa.
Then known as the Mount Isa Community Helicopter and later, as NQ Rescue, it was established to ensure every person, all the way from the remote Mornington Island to Birdsville and the Northern Territory border, had equal access to emergency aid.
Former Queensland Police Service officer Alex Dorr, with strong community and business support, was the driving force behind what has evolved over 15 years, into RACQ LifeFlight Rescue Mount Isa.
Mr Dorr, who is now a full-time RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter pilot, was spurred to action after seeing the gap in emergency and search and rescue services in the North West.
Establishing a rescue helicopter service which covers over 23 percent of Queensland, or 500,000km2, was at times mind boggling.
“I fought very hard to secure support and funding for the service because I really felt everyone deserves the same level of care no matter where they live,” said Mr Dorr.
“Growing up on the east coast and Gold Coast, that sort of service is very much taken for granted and going out to Mount Isa, there was this realisation not every community had that.
“If a rescue helicopter is good enough for Brisbane and the Gold Coast, it’s good enough for the people of the North West.”
Hon. Tony McGrady AM, who is now Chairman of the LifeFlight Regional Advisory Committee for the North West Region said it was an ambitious plan at the time, but something indispensable for the future of the region.
“Before the helicopter service was launched, patients requiring critical medical assistance, were often airlifted by choppers from Townsville, almost 1000km away,” he said.
“That simply wasn’t good enough, but now residents of the community can rest assured that if they need urgent aeromedical care, RACQ LifeFlight Rescue is here for them, around the clock every day of the year. This is very reassuring for the communities spread far and wide across our region.”
The early days of the base’s operation involved a single-engine Squirrel, and later a Jet Ranger aircraft, parked on a piece of grass at Mount Isa’s airport, with a neighbouring donga for an office.
It was a bare-bones beginning.
“We were literally running around emptying donation boxes during the day while being on-call to fly on the helicopter and dealing with the ongoing gathering of sponsorship,” said Mr Dorr.
Today, Mount Isa crew members are responding to more missions than ever, flying in a customised BK 117, delivering outstanding critical care to Queenslanders from across the North West.
“Due to our ability to travel quickly and land in remote and difficult to access locations, we play a vital role in search and rescue and emergency response operations in the North West region,” said Base Lead Billy McCreadie.
“We’re truly lucky to have a community that is so thankful we are here, making a difference. In many cases, that difference can be the one between life and death.”
Recently, the base was also bolstered by a $3.9 million Queensland Government funding announcement, courtesy of the Resources Communities Infrastructure Fund, which will enable a new co-located aeromedical hub to be built and shared with the Royal Flying Doctor Service and LifeFlight, at Mount Isa Airport.
