Dalarna’s County Council has decided to purchase an own helicopter for emergency medical operations in the region. The decision was reached in an extra meeting in Falun earlier today. The county’s helicopter will be purchased in a joint partnership with Värmland’s County Council, which decided to buy its own helicopter in March 2013.

Värmland’s procurement included an option for one additional helicopter in its order, which was intended for a possible acquisition in Dalarna. Ingalil Persson, chairman of Dalarna’s County Council, says that by using the extra helicopter in Värmland’s procurement the cost will be some 11 million SEK, approx €1,2 million EUR, lower compared to the price of buying one single helicopter in a separate acquisition.

Värmland’s procurement is currently undergoing a formal appeal process, why the official order for a specific helicopter type has not yet been finalized. Värmland’s HEMS is expected to be operational in Karlstad from mid-2014. It will be operated through a new AOC that is being established by the county itself.

Dalarna’s service is planned to be operational in Mora from mid-2015, but the county has not yet decided how the helicopter will be operated.

Reproduced from Nordic Rotors with permission. Copyright and full responsibility for the content of this article remains with Nordic Rotors