Cambridge Airport will be bolstering the full time presence of the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) service when a new, dedicated operations centre is officially opened on 19 April 2011.  The “Archie Morson Centre” has been equipped and decorated courtesy of The Marshall Group, and will be at the heart of all EAAA operations in the west of the Anglian region, providing the base for paramedics, doctors and pilots who operate the emergency service.

The EAAA airport accommodation now features full operational facilities that are being hailed as “Gold Standard” including a comfortable crew room, rest room facilities, and a complete sluice facility where crew returning from incidents can clean up. A full range of medical facilities provide the best in clinical care for patients awaiting transfer to one of Cambridge’s nearby hospitals. Flight planning resources and an IT system integrated with the airport’s will also ensure continued efficiency for the service.

The presence of Anglia 2, a Eurocopter Bk 117 which has been based at Cambridge since December 2010,  combined with Anglia 1 based in Norwich, will ensure an improved breadth of emergency coverage for the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Norfolk and Suffolk

“Cambridge Airport provides a range of benefits for the EAAA service as we are open 24/7, operate in all weather conditions, have full ATC and are well connected by road to the major Cambridge hospitals. We’re delighted to support such an important service and help them provide a better and more cost effective service to the region,” commented Archie Garden, Airport Director.

Andrew Egerton Smith, Chairman of the East Anglian Air Ambulance, said: “The charity is tremendously grateful for the support of Cambridge Airport and in opening this new base we have further underlined this important partnership. The Marshall Group leads the way in providing vital support for the EAAA and the charity are delighted to be associated with such an important business. This type of partnership is the reason we can continue operating and offer the public this valuable life-saving service.

HeliHub.com editor note: East Anglian Air Ambulance currently operate two Bo105s instead of the pair of BK117s.  Click on the East Anglian Air Ambulance tag below to track why