DRILLBITS
Monthly eNewsletter from the IADC

Working in the energy industry can be an adventure. For Members of IADC’s Australasia Chapter (IADC-AC) operating in the region, that adventure can mean stuck all alone in some far-removed places. Almost 2.5 times bigger than Texas, Queensland spreads from a sun-strewn ‘outback’ to a tropical jungles to a bustling metropolis of city life. That’s why LifeFlight has been an important service for the energy industry.

IADC’s Australasia Chapter partnered with Easternwell, MPC Kinetic to present the Toowoomba Magic and Miracles LifeFlight Ball this year. The event helps raise money for RACQ LifeFlight Rescue and was one of the organisation’s biggest fundraisers of the year.

A record crowd of close to 600 people attended the event to support the aeromedical service.

IADC’s Australasia Chapter Chairman of Onshore, Luke Smith, recently highlighted in a Ventia blogpost, why the initiative was so important to the Chapter:

Smith, General Manager for Operations for Easternwell Group with almost two decades in the industry, knows the importance of LifeFlight in providing essential services for field personnel working in remote locations throughout Queensland.

Smith and his fellow Australasia Chapter Officers joined the festivities, enjoying the philanthropic experience with a diverse array of professionals from the medical, aviation, business, and financial sectors.

RACQ LifeFlight’s mission is simple: to save lives and service the community through the provision of rapid response critical care. But that mission comes at a cost. For 2019-2020, the price tag for over was AUD$60 million. While they have a service agreement with the Queensland Government, they’ve blended their funding model with community fundraising and innovative profit-for-purpose initiatives. This diversification means a reliable and sustainable way to provide the community with helicopter rescue service, from emergency response, critical medical care, and hospital airlifts to seriously ill and injured people.