Dear Editor:
On behalf of the crew of STAR-9 from our Regina base and everyone at STARS, I would like to applaud Yorkton Fire Protective Services for the incredible support they provided our team on the evening of March 8, 2017, when our aircraft experienced mechanical difficulties while in your city.
We are thankful for the relationships we have with our community partners in the chain of survival across Saskatchewan, but your city’s fire department went above and beyond that night by providing shelter, food, transportation, extra manpower, surveillance, lighting and more. Because of their efforts, we were able to extract and protect our precious medical equipment and supplies from the bitter cold and expedite the diagnostics and subsequent repair of the aircraft.
Our personnel have nothing but high praise for your fire fighters, and I’m proud of the excellent teamwork demonstrated by our two organizations, as well as local EMS to first do everything possible to maximize the patient’s outcome before focusing on getting the aircraft back into service as quickly as possible. All this while battling the clock, darkness and frigid temperatures.
STARS will celebrate five years of operation in Saskatchewan at the end of April, and we would not be here without the generous support of individuals, organizations and communities across the province. We are honoured to provide time, hope and life-saving transport to critically ill and injured people in Yorkton and area – and indeed the whole province – and we are lucky to have such a professional, helpful and generous ally as Yorkton Fire Protective Services to help us carry out our work as efficiently as possible while keeping the community safe.
Andrea Robertson
President and CEO
STARS and STARS Foundation
