STARS update to county
The Wheatland County Public Presentation Committee received a presentation by STARS, during the May 14 meeting, as an annual update regarding their operations.
“Previously, we had a 10-year affiliation agreement with Alberta Health Services for 20 per cent government funding. That agreement expired at the end of 2010 and has been year to year since then,” said Jackie Seely, STARS municipal liaison for southern Alberta. “Alberta Health Services announced that they would consider top up funding to 40 per cent, and we are pleased to report that we did receive in 2022 a top up to 50 per cent funding, totalling $15 million.”
Seely added, there are three STARS bases currently operating in Alberta, each costing approximately $10 million per year to operate.
The $15 million received from Alberta Health Services excluded the costs of the emergency link centre (the STARS dispatch centre in Calgary), education and training, and all administrative costs.
“This is very operationally-focused funding,” said Seely. “After that, in Alberta we have to fundraise another $28 million every year.
“Thankfully, the STARS lottery continues to be a big success, and this year again, we netted $10 million from that lottery. Thankfully, STARS supporters across the province support that, then after that, another $18 million must be fundraised.”
These finances, Seely explained, may come from corporate, business, and individual donors, as well as from community-led events taking place across Alberta with express intent to support STARS.
An additional $2.2 million in funding is collected for STARS through partnerships with municipalities, including and not exclusively with Wheatland County.
Seely was pleased to report in the past year, an additional 18 municipalities across Alberta have come on board to provide regular support for STARS.
Municipal partnerships with STARS range from a minimum of $2 per capita, up to $90 per capita.
“Wheatland County is the regional leader in Southern Alberta, with all towns and villages, and the county, all on board supporting STARS,” said Seely.
Within Wheatland County, it was also explained that an average of 41 missions per year take place within the local region.
Over the last five years, a total of 217 missions have been flown by STARS within the Wheatland County region.
High local concentrations of these take place near Strathmore, near Gleichen, and as critical inter-facility transfers regarding Strathmore Hospital.
This is estimated to be valued in the realm of between $350,000 and $410,000 in mission expenses only that STARS is able to provide to the local region.
The full report is available publicly via the County PPC meeting agenda, as well as on their YouTube channel.
John Watson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Strathmore Times
