OneOffixx team visits the Swiss Air Rescue Service Rega

The OneOffixx team takes a glimpse behind the scene at Rega

In September 2017, the OneOffixx team visited the Swiss Air Rescue Service Rega. On our visit, we gained a lot of knowledge about the activities of the Swiss Air Rescue Service, when Ms. Bettina Müller, long-standing head of operations, gave us a comprehensive overview on the history of Rega. Founded by Dr. Rudolf Bucher in 1952, the non-profit foundation is primarily based on the financial contributions of patrons. Today, more than 35% of the Swiss population supports Rega with their annual contributions and as such takes responsibility for the maintenance of the nationwide air rescue network in Switzerland.

Bettina Müller’s interesting and interactive presentation was followed by a visit to the operations center and the hangar. The operations center is divided into two departments. The first department takes care of helicopter services in Switzerland, whereas the second department is responsible for foreign emergencies of ambulance jets.

OneOffixx_bei_Rega_Augusta_DaVinci_Hubschrauber_im_Hangar
Augusta Da Vinci rescue helicopter

Today, Rega is in charge of 17 helicopters for rescue services within Switzerland, one training helicopter and three ambulance jets for foreign emergencies. For patients abroad, medical consulting is available via a support hotline. This way, doctors can give first aid advice directly on the phone. The operations center receives all regular and emergency calls via the Rega app. For Swiss emergencies, the head of operations decides which type of rescue service is needed for taking a patient to the hospital as quickly as possible. Helicopters are mainly used for emergencies in rough terrain, because they can access such environments best.

Five minutes after the head of operations has alarmed the nearest helicopter station, the helicopter is leaving its base. For foreign emergencies, the situation is discussed with the doctors on site, because it is a requirement for the repatriation by Rega that a patient consults a local hospital first.

Bild OneOffixx Teamfoto bei Rega vor Challenger Ambulanzjet im Hangar
The OneOffixx team in front of a Challenger ambulance jet

Our visit to Rega was an exciting and interesting experience for the whole OneOffixx team. Many thanks to Rega for offering us the possibility of a visit.