In 2010 the air rescue organisation DRF Luftrettung flew a total of 36,900 rescue missions, involving helicopter missions at 31 HEMS bases in Germany, Austria and Denmark as well as worldwide repatriations with its ambulance aircraft. In Germany alone the crews were alerted to 33,861 missions, meaning a rise of 10 % compared to 2007 (30,738 missions). In the context of a growing lack of ground-based emergency physicians in rural areas as well as a specialisation of clinics air rescue is gaining more and more importance within Germany.

On numerous occasions in Germany the red-white helicopters of DRF Luftrettung were alerted to life-life-threatening diseases like heart attacks (8%) and apoplexies (12%) last year. In addition, they were called to 3,847 accidents. 1,851 times the medical crews of DRF Luftrettung provided medical care for children.

Outside of Germany, at two HEMS bases in Austria and one HEMS base in Denmark, DRF Luftrettung flew 2,147 helicopter missions in 2010. On May 1st 2010, the first Danish HEMS base was opened in Ringsted on the island of Zealand. It is operated by Falck DRF Luftambulance A/S, a consortium of DRF Luftrettung and the Danish rescue service operator Falck A/S. In the first 8 months of its operation the Danish helicopter flew 538 missions. Its mission area included the island of Zealand, the capital of Copenhagen, as well as the offshore islands of Lolland Falster and Møn. In addition, it was also used for intensive care transports in Denmark, if required. Also, the two Austrian rescue helicopters of the ARA Flugrettung (which belongs to DRF Luftrettung), were much in demand: The crews in Reutte (Tyrol) and Fresach (Carinthia) flew 1,609 missions altogether.

Apart from helicopter rescue, DRF Luftrettung conducted worldwide missions with its ambulance aircraft in cooperation with LAR (Luxembourg Air Rescue) under the name of European Air Ambulance (EAA): Last year 892 patients were transported from abroad to their home countries, landing in 95 countries worldwide. These repatriation flights were coordinated by the respective alert centers at the airports of Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden in Germany and Luxembourg. The experienced dispatchers can be reached 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, under the emergency telephone number +49-(0)711-7007-7007.

General information about DRF Luftrettung

In 2010 DRF Luftrettung flew rescue missions at 31 HEMS bases in Germany, Austria and Denmark, at eight HEMS bases 24/7. Six ambulance aircraft of DRF Luftrettung and LAR (Luxembourg Air Rescue) were used for worldwide repatriations under the name of European Air Ambulance (EAA). In total, approximately 500 emergency physicians, 260 paramedics, 170 pilots and 70 technicians were on duty for DRF Luftrettung.