....... we would find that not only are the police helicopters and the air ambulances co-located (security issues having been taken care of of course) but they just happen to be co-located with a combined ambulance station and fire station...... and where feasible the SAR unit can take advantage of the economies of scale.
Surely scope exists within the manning of said multi-tasking units to share pilots, share training, share back seat personnel (paramedics, winch wigglers and dangly people).
Now of course it would help to find one or two types to suit all but that would be one wish too far.
Why is it that the most nanniest of governments that sets out to control the way we do just about anything hasn't got the balls to bang a few heads together ands say "cut the crap - you get this or nothing, now STFU and get on with it".
They wont of course because the Fire Brigades Union is too strong and the Ambulance people think they are a superior breed plus each Chief Constable thinks he is entitled to run his own little empire.
When it comes to equipment we could take a lead from the Italians of course..... they wouldn't dream of using anything other than Italian made equipment - regardless of just about any other consideration. As the AW group is at least part Brit that would leave us with:-
AW109 - for the puddle-jumping jobs
AW 139 - for the channel-hoping jobs, and the
AW101 - for ocean-going adventures
Jaguars/Vauxhall/Ford/Nissan/Honda for the cops
Ford/DAF trucks for the Ambulance Service
Dennis for the Fire service
We can always dream I suppose.
G
