An emergency helicopter operates on 24-hour standby and provides rescue services for free in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

A blue and white Airbus H255 helicopter sat on the tarmac with its crew in place, undergoing maintenance checks at the Zhoushan Emergency Helicopter Base in Dinghai district on Jan 28.

This marks the city's inaugural deployment of an emergency rescue helicopter on regular standby, operational 24 hours a day, poised to promptly address any sudden emergencies throughout the city, as confirmed by local authorities.

Wang Chengyuan, deputy director of the Zhoushan Emergency Management Bureau noted that the helicopter can take off within 15 minutes of receiving a rescue mission directive.

The rescue service will primarily be deployed for 10 major emergency situations at sea and in remote islands. These include distress calls from ships at sea, incidents of individuals falling into the water or becoming stranded on remote islands, critical injuries or illnesses on remote islands or during offshore operations, and missing persons during offshore operations.

Additionally, the helicopters will be deployed for aerial firefighting in cases of forest fires and high-rise building fires. They will also assist in precise airdrop and transportation of rescue personnel and equipment during natural disasters, among other scenarios.

In the event of an emergency, individuals can seek assistance by calling the toll-free emergency hotline at 0580-2283-019 or 199-0680-8189. Notably, air rescue services are provided free of charge.