What has the taxpayer got to do with a charity? At a major incident, we can be on the ground up to two hours, what happens to the police cover then?
You sir, have no idea of the real world. Secondly, people in this part of the world will put money in a tin for a charity, not for the police. The air ambulances are stand alone, freeing us from the beauracratic NONSENSE of a national organisation. You would never be able to get to a job in time because of the ridiculous red tape of a national agency. In summary, people would be dying while we waited for permission to lift.