Ornge

Ornge AgustaWestland AW139 at the Ottawa base, 3 June 2011

An early production Sikorsky S-76A owned by Canadian Helicopters and used in the Ontario air ambulance role in August 2007. The aircraft is in an earlier Ontario Air Ambulance paint scheme

Ornge (formerly Ontario Air Ambulance) is the air ambulance service for the province of Ontario and for the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (Ontario). The provision of ambulance services in Ontario is governed by the Ambulance Act.^{[citation needed]}

Under the Act, the Minister of Health and Long Term Care must ensure “the existence throughout Ontario of a balanced and integrated system of ambulance services and communication services used in dispatching ambulances.”^{[citation needed]}

History

The air ambulance program was established in 1977 to serve remote areas primarily in Northern Ontario that are inaccessible to land ambulances or that land ambulances would take too long to reach. Ontario was the first Canadian province to provide a helicopter-based air ambulance system to transport critically ill patients to hospital. Air ambulances are also used to transport medical teams and organs for transplant. A large part of the air ambulance service is involved in serving the aboriginal communities, of which there are approximately 140, in Northern Ontario.^{[citation needed]}

The Ministry operated an air ambulance dispatch centre located in Toronto until Ornge took over and MATC became the Ornge Communications Centre.^{[citation needed]}

Today, the air ambulance program has become an integral component of the larger emergency health system in communities across the Province.^{[citation needed]}

Aircraft Fleet

An S-76A owned by Canadian Helicopters and flown under contract with Ornge in May 2008.

An Ornge Sikorsky S-76A C-GIMT (in old livery) preparing to receive a patient at Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport.

An Ornge Sikorsky S-76A C-GIMW lifting off at Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport.

An Ornge Sikorsky S-76A in old livery sitting on the helipad at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.

On August 28, 2008 Ornge announced the purchase of ten new AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters to replace their fleet of Sikorsky S-76 helicopters,^[1] to be delivered over a period of two years from late 2010.^[2] The S-76 helicopters were previously owned and operated by Canadian Helicopters, but are now owned by Ornge and operated by Canadian Helicopters.^[3] The S-76 helicopters will be serviced by Canadian Helicopters until April 2012.^[3]

Helicopters

Eleven Sikorsky S-76s^[1] located at:

• Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (2) - moving to John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport in 2011^[4]
• Ottawa International Airport (1)- Currently operating with an AW 139 Helicopter
• Thunder Bay International Airport (1)
• Moosonee Airport (1)
• Kenora Airport (1)
• Sudbury Airport (1) - Currently operating with the AW139
• London International Airport (1)- Currently operating with the AW 139
• Oshawa Airport
• Spares - (4)

From the first long weekend of the summer to Labour Day one of the Toronto crews is relocated and based out of Muskoka Airport for the increased number of trauma calls in cottage country during this period.^[5]

Fixed-wing aircraft

As of the end of 2009, Ornge has begun operating its own fleet of Pilatus PC-12NG fixed-wing aircraft from its bases in:

• Thunder Bay (4)

• Sioux Lookout (2)

• Timmins (2)

• Hamilton (2) - late 2011 / early 2012

Standing agreement aircraft

Additional aircraft are available under the Standing Agreement (as and when required) contract with other operators:

• Canadian Flyers International operating a Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain from the Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport and Piper PA-31 Navajo from Dryden, Ontario

• Wabusk Air operating a Beechcraft A100 King Air from Moosonee Airport

• Thunder Airlines - Beechcraft A100 King Air; Cessna 208B Grand Caravan; and Mitsubishi MU-2 from Thunder Bay International Airport, Sudbury Airport and Timmins/Victor M. Power Airport

• Flightexec at Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport and London International Airport

• SkyCare Air Ambulance operating 2 Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner aircraft at Sioux Lookout Airport.

• Air Bravo operating Pilatus PC-12 aircraft out of Timmins, Sioux Lookout, Elliot Lake and Toronto City Centre.

Aircraft inventory

Aircraft	Country of Manufacture	Type	In Service[6]	Notes
AgustaWestland AW139	Italy	multi-purpose medium-size commercial helicopter	10	On order for delivery in late 2010
Sikorsky S-76	United States	multi-purpose medium-size commercial helicopter	12	contract with Canadian Helicopters.
Pilatus PC-12	Switzerland	single engine turboprop	10	owned and operated by Ornge
Mitsubishi MU-2	Japan	twin engine turboprop	4	operated by Thunder Airlines
Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner	United States	twin engine turboprop	2	owned and operated by SkyCare Air Ambulance

Labour Relations

Ornge Paramedics are represented by the Canadian Auto Workers Local 2002. Their second collective agreement was ratified in December 2009 and is in force until October 31, 2012.^[7]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Ornge purchases new fleet of high performance medically equipped helicopters - Signals a new era in transport medicine for Ontario patients" (PDF) (Press release). Ornge. 2008-08-25. http://www.ornge.ca/AW139Aug25.pdf. Retrieved 2008-08-30. 
2. ^ "Ornge and Canadian Helicopters Income Fund Announce Agreement in Principle" (PDF) (Press release). Ornge. 2008-09-03. http://www.ornge.ca/CHLOrngefinalrelease2.pdf. Retrieved 2009-08-20. 
3. ^ ^{a b} http://www.ornge.ca/Media/Documents/Media%20Releases/chlstatementsept30.pdf
4. ^ Air Ambulance Will Move From Toronto To Hamilton
5. ^ "Ornge gets closer to the action" (Press release). Ornge. 2007-05-18. http://www.ornge.ca/news-may-18-07.html. Retrieved 2009-08-24. 
6. ^ "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 15, 2007.
7. ^ http://www.caw2002tca.ca/ornge.aspx

• Flight Exec
• Thunder Airlines
• Ornge
• Air Ambulance
• Ontario Paramedic Association
• Voyageur Airways
• Canadian Helicopters
• Aboriginal Communities in Ontario

External links

Media related to Ornge at Wikimedia Commons

• Ornge