The Sussex Police Air Operations Unit, popularly referred to by the aircrew's police net callsign, Hotel 900,^[1] provides emergency air support in the Sussex area of England.^[1][2][3] The unit operates an MD Explorer helicopter based at Shoreham Airport^[3][4] with aircrew provided by both the Sussex Police and the South East Coast Ambulance Service. The unit flies sorties at the request of police control at Lewes,^[1] or the joint air ambulance control desk at Coxheath, Kent.^[2]

Contents 1 Operations 2 See also 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Operations

Hotel 900 is crewed by a pilot, a Sussex Police air observer, who is a fully sworn constable (or sergeant) and a paramedic seconded from South East Coast Ambulance Service, who is also trained as an air observer.^[1] The current helicopter is an MD-902 Explorer and operates from Shoreham Airport.^[3] Operational since February 2000,^[1] the Explorer replaced an earlier helicopter which had been in service since 1987.^[5] The unit is available for missions between 0800 and 0130 Monday to Saturday, and 0900 to 0000 on Sundays, although out of hours cover is provided for serious incidents.^[1][6] Hotel 900 completes nearly 1,500 sorties every year, of which almost 25% are for ambulance purposes, with the remainder consisting of police tasks, such as searching for offenders or fleeing suspects, identifying suspect or stolen vehicles, facilitating vehicle pursuits, transport of police officers, and search & rescue.^[1]

[edit] See also

• Air ambulance
• Air Ambulances in the United Kingdom
• Emergency medical services in the United Kingdom
• Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• South East Coast Ambulance Service, NHS
• Sussex Police Hotel 900 page