The Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter is celebrating International Women’s Day today, and is recognising the important contributions women make to the team by showcasing Jennifer, one of its local female crew members.
Jennifer is dedicated to helping save lives, having worked on board the rescue helicopter as a crewwoman for almost a year now. Before that, she was a paramedic on frontline ambulances in the Waikato for eight years.
In her role, Jennifer is responsible for a mix of aviation and medical responsibilities. Depending on the mission, the duties of a crewman or crewwoman can include assisting the pilot in navigation, operating the hoist, and assisting the critical care paramedic with unstable patient treatment.
Jennifer says: “The crewman duties are quite diverse, which keeps things interesting. I recently completed my first operation winch - it was memorable, as it was the first time I got to use all my newly acquired crewman skills to help someone in need.”