Richard Froese
South Peace News
STARS air ambulance service continues to soar in Big Lakes County and the High Prairie region.
Councils at the Town of High Prairie were updated on STARS activities at its Feb. 27 council meeting while Big Lakes County heard a similar presentation at its Feb. 28 meeting.
Again, the region was the busiest for the Grande Prairie base for STARS, says Glenda Farnden, senior municipal relations liaison for STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service).
“High Prairie and Big Lakes was the number-one community served by the northern STARS base,” says Farnden.
“You have been the number-one community for many years.”
The region recorded 36 missions in 2023, compared to 39 missions in 2022, 38 in 2021, 31 in 2020 and 33 in 2019.
“Big Lakes County area averages 35 missions per year,” Farnden says.
Critical inter-facility transfers at the High Prairie Health Complex accounted for 19 of the missions in 2023. compared to 21 in 2022 and 16 in 2021.
She notes two transfers at the hospital have already been recorded in 2024 as of Feb. 5.
Reeve Tyler Airth agrees the air ambulance services is valuable.
STARS is very critical to us,” Airth says.
Farnden says STARS appreciates the long- term commitment from Big Lakes, which has been partner for more than 20 years.
Several years ago, county council passed a motion to contribute $25,000 in annual funding for four years from 2022-2025.
“Big Lakes County is one of our municipal leaders in funding support,” Farnden says.
She acknowledged that the Town of High Prairie is also a good regional partner, located inside the boundaries of the county.