NHC Northern Helicopter, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DRF Luftrettung based in Emden, Germany, has once again been given responsibility for offshore rescue for the RWE Amrumbank West wind farm in the German Exclusive Economic Zone of the North Sea. After a four-year intermission, the Amrumbank wind farm with its 80 offshore wind turbines is again providing work for NHC. A two-year contract with energy company RWE includes the provision of emergency medical care with a rescue helicopter and the offshore emergency control centre. This control centre, operated by the Gesellschaft für maritimes Notfallmanagement, coordinates rescue operations. NHC Northern Helicopter air rescue is part of the holistic supply concept WINDEAcare for the offshore wind industry.

“We see RWE's decision to completely put the air rescue in our hands as a great confirmation of our work,” comments Armin Ortmann, MD of NHC. NHC has been providing HEMS and the emergency control centre for neighbouring RWE offshore wind farm Nordsee Ost since 1 November 2018. With the recently concluded contract, RWE is bundling the offshore air rescue for both wind farms off Helgoland with one service provider.

“As the second largest operator of offshore wind farms worldwide, the safety of our employees is always our top priority. With NHC we have a competent partner at our side who shares our high quality standards for medical care and, together with us, now guarantees a fast and reliable rescue chain for both wind farms that we operate off the island of Helgoland,” says Marc Vahjen, head of the operation of the Amrumbank West offshore wind farm at RWE Renewables.

For more than ten years, NHC has specialised in acute and emergency medical care as well as the transport of injured and sick people from offshore wind farms in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Every NHC offshore rescue helicopter is equipped with the latest emergency medical equipment to treat and monitor patients. Each flying crew consists of two pilots and a winch operator, while the medical crew consists of an emergency doctor and an emergency paramedic.