Welsh opera star Bryn Terfel has officially opened a modern new base for the Wales Air Ambulance.
Bryn, who has been the charity’s patron since 2005, was on hand to unveil the modern new facilities at Caernarfon airport.
The charity’s paramedics and fundraising teams will be based at the new base, which is also the home of one of the charity’s three emergency response helicopters.
The air ambulance’s Caernarfon-based team of paramedics, who work in 12-hour shifts to provide air support to Wales’ critically ill patients, were previously based in two temporary portable buildings.
But now the team can prepare for their lifesaving missions in comfortable new facilities, which include a modern kitchen, lounge area and dedicated training room.
The new facilities will also house the charity’s Caernarfon fundraising team, allowing greater communication with both the paramedics and the Wales Air Ambulance’s supporters.
Bryn said: “It’s fantastic that the air ambulance will benefit from these new facilities – the paramedics deserve to have somewhere like this to come back to after carrying out their vital work.
“Previously, the team were based in two small cabins, so the light and airy new base will provide a much better place to rest between missions.
“The Air Ambulance carries out incredible work helping save lives across Wales, and I’m honoured to officially open this new home for the charity.”
Though the charity was founded on St David’s Day 2001, the Caernarfon helicopter began operations two years later after a significant fundraising drive, with the Caernarfon fundraising office also opening in 2007.
Last year, the Caernarfon helicopter was the busiest of the three Wales Air Ambulance aircraft, attending 786 missions across North and Mid Wales. In 2006 it was ranked the busiest air ambulance in Britain.
Paramedic Sam Williams, from Menai Bridge, who joined the air ambulance team in September 2011, said the new facilities provided a welcome change from the previous quarters.
Sam said: “The new base is a welcome improvement, and make out time between missions much more comfortable.
“We moved into the new building around Christmas, and it’s been such an improvement – particularly given how cold it used to get during the winter.
“You have to be prepared to be called out on a mission at any time, so to be fully rested and ready to attend the scene of an emergency is really important.
“It’s also great that the fundraising team are also on site with us, which makes it even easier to meet the charity’s supporters and keep up to date on patients we have previously treated.”
Wales Air Ambulance chief executive Angela Hughes said: “We’ve been looking to bring the operations and fundraising teams together for some time, and it’s great to finally see the two under one roof.
“We often have fundraisers and former patients that want to thank our paramedics for their work, and the new base will make this much easier, with the old fundraising office having been about 10 miles from the airbase.”
As well as officially unveiling the new base, Bryn was given a tour of the new base and an update on recent activities for the charity, which recently complete its 19,000th mission.
He was also shown some of the latest pieces of equipment to be added to the air ambulance fleet. This included Babypods, an innovative piece of equipment that assists the safe transfer and treatment of the air ambulance’s youngest patients, and video laryngoscopes, which help paramedics quickly clear blocked or damaged airways.
