STARS MB Flight Ops Suspended -15 Critical Incidents

[single_swine_herder]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/ ... -1.2448327

[A346Dude]

So are they going to suspend ambulances the next time someone dies after arriving in one?

[seasonaldriver]

They'll suspend the staff inside them that's fer sure. You screw up that many times and there are consequences.

[single_swine_herder]

Link to video reporting ......

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Ma ... MostRecent

[Clearwater]

Stars website claims 187 flights in Manitoba in 2012.

Manitoba Government says cost was $10-12 million.

$10,000,000.00 makes a cost per patient transfer of $53,475.94

[AllClutch]

The result of a sweetheart no bid contract to STARs,
Some of these preventable deaths aboard these ships were so negligent they could be called manslaughter.

[Beefitarian]

Stars website claims 187 flights in Manitoba in 2012.

Manitoba Government says cost was $10-12 million.

$10,000,000.00 makes a cost per patient transfer of $53,475.94

This is totally solid maths. There's probably no staff or overhead. Just a pilot and two EMTs sitting in a hellicopter with a cell phone, "Hello, stars. Yeah? We're on it,"

"Let's roll someone needs a medevac!"

[The Mole]

So Stars the billed manitoba health 10+mil,

and then fund raised.

Shock trauma air rescue Service foundation Tax return 2012-- 25 million

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/haip/srch ... 6amp%3Bamp

Shock trauma air rescue society tax return 2012 -- 14 million

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/haip/srch ... 6amp%3Bamp

[Clearwater]

Interesting that the surplus funds reported to CRA are donated to a charity. The charity is STARS.

Saskatchewan was also a no bid contract awarded by a minister who retired shortly after due to health concerns and then became an executive at STARS.

[AllClutch]

Its unfortunate that EIC (or any other Manitoba company) was never given an opportunity to bid on that contract,
they have proven highly successful with their medevac operations through perimeter and the high arctic with Keewatin, and they had recently acquired Custom Helicopter. I'd venture to say that if given the chance they could put in a more affordable bid with a higher level of service that this so called charity, maybe it wouldnt have all the sexy flash of STARs but they'd get the job done.

[single_swine_herder]

Although 15 critical incidents in 187 transfers is a pretty high ratio, I guess we have to remind ourselves that STARS likely do get dispatched to transfer the worse of the worst cases.

[Captain X]

There would be a lot of incidents in AB but they all get swept under the rug by the "PR" folks. Its a sad state when the vendor tells the government what it is going to do and the govt bends over backwards. Stars has veto power on who gets dispatched for trips ie fixed wing or stars, which seems to be a huge conflict of interest considering they generate revenue and extra press each "mission" they do.

[Clearwater]

Stars carried out 217 "missions" in Saskatchewan in 2012.

Public accounts says they were paid $10.5 million.

$48,387.10 per "mission". Plus whatever they managed to scam from fundraising.

Good times.

[Clearwater]

The Stars Foundation, which is the fund raising division, took in about $36 million in 2012. They spent about $20 million on expenses and gave Stars about $16 million to play with. Wages for the foundation (not related to flight operations) were just under $5 million plus $1.1 million for management and consulting fees. Top salary in the $200-300K range.

[The Mole]

Some quick math here. Brand new ec145 lets say 7 million all decked out. Brand new. Industry rate for operating that, should be about $7000ish per hour + fuel. Thats all maintenance and wages for pilots.

The hourly rate STARS gets for an old bk117 is 33,000 per hour!!!!!!. You can get a sky-crane or Chinook for around $25,000 per hour.

10,000,000 / 300hrs per year, actual flight time and i doubt they fly that in saskatoon. = $33,000. No bid government contract. thats the ticket

[Clearwater]

Like to hear from someone with helicopter experience.

They operate a total of seven machines and only have 295 full time and 76 part time ops. employees. Does that number seem reasonable?

[The Mole]

Apple to Apples. BC spent 38.5 million on ALL aircraft in 2011/12 without begging for money..

"In 2011/12, the BC Ambulance Service spent $312 million, of which $48 million was for air ambulance services: $38.5 million on contracts for aircraft and $9.5 million on salaries, operating expenses and training. The BC Ambulance Service is funded entirely by the Province."


BC ambulance audit. Source Links to PDF http://goo.gl/Bu9UTJ


edit: shortened URL

[reid7]

This is a message for Clearwater - do you still have your Spectrum System for sale?

[Clearwater]

Sled is like new and still for sale. Check PM.

[tristarpilot]

Please also PM me regarding Spectrum unit. Thanks.