Tasmania’s Rescue Helicopter Service Invests In Military Grade Night Vision Goggles

The Tasmanian Westpac Helicopter Service has bought three sets of military grade night vision goggles.

This purchase will replace the high-power torches that were previously being used and will aid in better equipping the crew to perform night-time rescue operations.

The Chair of Westpac Rescue Helicopter Tasmania, Tony Harrison, explained the benefits of the new technology and how it will help the performance of their rescue team.

Mr Harrison says that the military grade night vision goggles are the latest state of the art technology and are the same ones used by the special forces.

“The light is white so it is like daylight…I mean if someone is lost in the wilderness for instance, if you had a mobile phone open a couple of kilometres away they could see it, they are that good.”

He also says that they will be extremely useful situations where the rescue helicopter needs to land near powerlines, which can be a real danger to their crew.

The money to buy the goggles was obtained by sponsorship and community fundraising.

It took three to four months for the goggles to arrive in Tasmania because the US Department of Defence needed to grant them special permission to use the technology.

This equipment will be a valuable asset in future rescue opperations.

“Our rescue service is recognised as working in the most challenging terrain in Australia, so you know these guys and women, they are special, they do a fantastic job.”