René Closter, president of Luxembourg Air Rescue (LAR), appeared on RTL Radio on Thursday morning to call for increased use of the air rescue helicopter. A firefighter by trade, Closter founded LAR 38 years ago.
He said the air rescue helicopter is often the most effective way to provide assistance as quickly as possible to someone in an emergency situation. The goal is to minimize what professionals call the "untreated interval": the time between the onset of a medical problem and the patient receiving care, Closter noted.
"We need to be able to reach the patient as quickly as possible, stabilise them, and then transport them to the hospital as quickly and gently as possible", he explained.
Luxembourg Air Rescue continues to advocate for a base in the north of the country.
Currently, 70% of the organisation's flights are to the Oesling region. In Ettelbruck, near the hospital, LAR is currently "tolerated," said Closter. But the situation is not ideal, as the hospital has plans to expand and wishes to reclaim the space occupied by the hangar, according to Closter.
LAR is still searching for a new site on which it can build the required infrastructure. However, Closter highlighted frustrations with the project, as talks with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) have "not moved forward at all".
Closter explained that LAR is technically equipped to deploy aircraft for fire-fighting missions, as they possess the so-called "Bambi buckets", which can hold up to 1,000 litres of water. While the equipment is there from a technical standpoint, LAR lacks the training in order to offer the service in practice, he noted.
The demand certainly exists in neighbouring regions such as Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate, and the Belgian Province of Luxembourg. Closter said he hopes they could deploy fire-fighting helicopters from next year, but that the CGDIS had shown very little interest up to this point.
LAR is financed through membership fees, donations, a state subsidy, and also through various commercial activities.
Closter explained that the organisation notably operates the police helicopter on behalf of the state, a helicopter for Frontex on the island of Lampedusa, and handles all organ transport by air in France. It also carries out repatriation flights for travel and medical assistance providers and insurance companies.
Closter noted that costs have increased sharply in recent years, particularly due to the rise in the price of kerosene and the parts needed for maintenance.
He explained further that members have understood the need for an increase in membership fees. Furthermore, membership numbers continue to grow and now total approximately 184,000, Closter said.
Around 200 people currently work for the Air Rescue, which was founded in 1988. By the end of the year, the service will run 11 helicopters and 5 ambulance planes.
