In 2017 Devon Air Ambulance (DAA) celebrates 25 years of service, this has only been made possible to the fantastic support DAA receives from the people, businesses and communities of Devon. It costs £5.5million every year to keep Devon’s Air Ambulances flying and they are extremely proud to be independent of Government and National Lottery Funding; this safeguards the service for the long-term and ensures they can deliver what the people of Devon tell them they want from their Air Ambulance. 

DAA owns two Eurocopter EC135 helicopters which operate seven days a week and responds to approximately 1,400 incidents every year, in November 2016 DAA extended their service to operate until midnight, meaning they can help even more people in Devon. 

With one helicopter based in Exeter and one in North Devon they are able to get to most of Devon within 10 minutes and the whole of Devon within 15. This ensures patients receive treatment within the critical period immediately following acute illness or an accident and are conveyed to the specialist treatment centre most appropriate for their needs, ensuring they receive the best possible care and giving them the best chance of survival. In addition DAA has substantially improved patient care through the creation of a ground breaking Master’s Degree for air paramedics aimed at making them amongst the highest qualified in the profession. Working with Plymouth University, DAA has created a qualification which will put Devon on the map as a centre of excellence for pre-hospital critical care. 

Devon’s Air Ambulances are very much an essential part of the community we live in and the service would not be possible without the generous support and donations from the people, businesses and communities in and around Devon, every penny raised is making a real difference.