Air Ambulance Service Enhances Emergency Response with New Vehicle and Helipad Upgrade
Essex & Herts Air Ambulance has significantly bolstered its life-saving capabilities this week with the introduction of a brand-new rapid response vehicle (RRV) and a fully refurbished helipad at its Earls Colne airbase. This critical upgrade has been made possible through a generous grant of nearly £100,000 from the HELP Appeal, the UK's sole charity dedicated exclusively to funding helipads at NHS hospitals and air ambulance bases.
Funding Boost for Critical Care Infrastructure
The substantial investment from the HELP Appeal has enabled the air ambulance service to undertake essential refurbishments to its existing helipad, ensuring it complies with the latest stringent aviation standards and remains fully operational for emergency missions. This enhancement is vital for maintaining the service's ability to deploy its critical care teams swiftly and safely, keeping helicopters airborne when every second counts.
In addition to the helipad improvements, the funding has facilitated the acquisition of a new rapid response vehicle, bringing the charity's fleet to a total of six RRVs. These vehicles are deployed during nighttime operations or when adverse weather conditions or maintenance issues ground the helicopters, guaranteeing that Essex & Herts Air Ambulance can continue to provide rapid emergency responses across Essex and Hertfordshire without interruption.
Advanced Clinical Care on the Road
Each rapid response vehicle is staffed by a highly skilled pre-hospital care doctor and a critical care paramedic, mirroring the clinical expertise available on the air ambulances. The RRVs are equipped with the same advanced life-saving medical equipment and medications, enabling them to deliver a level of emergency care that far surpasses that of standard land ambulances or other emergency vehicles.
The charity utilises Volvo XC90 plug-in hybrid SUVs for its RRV fleet, selected for their exceptional speed, fuel efficiency, and spacious capacity to transport crucial medical gear. Last year alone, these vehicles were dispatched over 1,400 times across the two counties, providing invaluable support to individuals facing life-threatening injuries and medical emergencies.
Leadership Perspectives on the Investment
Mark Jarman-Howe, CEO at Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, expressed his gratitude for the grant, stating: "Our mission is to deliver the best pre-hospital care, and this grant will play a big part in helping us continue to do that. It's vital we have the latest equipment and facilities so we can get our teams to where they're needed as quickly and efficiently as possible, no matter where, when, or in what conditions. Rapid Response Vehicles play a critical role alongside the helicopters in our life-saving service, and the crew is delighted with its new ride."
Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal, commented: "We are delighted to be able to help support Essex & Herts Air Ambulance in providing emergency care in the region. By funding both their base helipad and a new critical care car, we're helping lifesaving teams reach the most critically ill patients. This is the first time the HELP Appeal has made such a significant investment in this area, and we're incredibly grateful to our supporters for making this possible. We look forward to announcing more exciting helipad news during the year."
Sustaining Life-Saving Missions
In 2025, Essex & Herts Air Ambulance's helicopters and rapid response vehicles attended a total of 2,491 missions, ranging from road traffic collisions and accidental injuries to medical emergencies such as cardiac arrests. With each mission costing approximately £2,800, the charity relies heavily on the ongoing support of individual donors and institutional funders like the HELP Appeal to maintain its operations and keep both helicopters in the air and RRVs on the road.
The newly funded equipment is already fully operational, ensuring that the air ambulance service can continue to deliver its essential pre-hospital care to critically ill or injured patients throughout Essex and Hertfordshire, reinforcing its commitment to saving lives in the community.
