Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service

What Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service does

STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service) is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1985 that operates helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) across Western Canada. Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, the organization runs six bases — Calgary, Edmonton, and Grande Prairie in Alberta; Regina and Saskatoon in Saskatchewan; and Winnipeg in Manitoba — using a fleet of nine Airbus H145 helicopters equipped with advanced medical interiors, onboard blood products, and ultrasound capabilities to deliver hospital-level critical care during transport. Each mission is staffed by specialized transport medicine crews (physicians, nurses, and paramedics), coordinated through the centralized STARS Emergency Link Centre that manages dispatch, virtual care support, and thousands of weekly communications. The organization is CAMTS-accredited and has flown more than 66,000 missions cumulatively, averaging 10 missions daily and 3,575 in fiscal 2025-2026.

STARS is funded through a hybrid model in which approximately 50% of operating costs are covered by long-term provincial government healthcare contracts (Saskatchewan 10-year renewal at 50% funding, Manitoba two-year Shared Health extension, Alberta funding through Alberta Health Services), and the remaining ~50% is raised privately through individual donations, corporate gifts (Allies for Life giving tiers of $6,000–$10,000), the multi-provincial STARS Lottery, calendar and merchandise sales, signature galas, radiothons, and hundreds of community events annually. The complementary STARS Vigilant line offers Work Alone Monitoring, Site Registration, and Emergency Communications Centre services to industrial customers in Alberta and Saskatchewan, while the recently launched Werklund STARS Academy for Critical Care Transport Medicine Education (May 2026, funded by a $3 million gift) opens a new education vertical. Major corporate supporters include Mosaic (over $10.5 million cumulative, including a $2.5 million fleet renewal gift), Birchcliff Energy ($3.6 million cumulative), AltaLink ($1.2 million), and David Werklund ($3 million).

Name

Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service

Legal name

Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service

Website

https://stars.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Short description

STARS is a non-profit charitable helicopter air ambulance operator founded in 1985, providing critical care transport across Western Canada from six bases in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba using nine Airbus H145 helicopters, funded by provincial government contracts and private donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Air Ambulance Services

NAICS

Ambulance Services (621910)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Air Medical Transport (Helicopter/Fixed-Wing) (HLAFANAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Critical Care Transport (CCT) & Specialty Transport Teams (HLAFANAE)

Keywords

• Air ambulance services
• Helicopter emergency medical
• Critical care transport
• Nonprofit healthcare services
• Industrial safety monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Healthcare Contracts: Provincial government funding agreements with Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba fund approximately 50% of operations. Saskatchewan contract renews at 50% funding level. Manitoba operates under Shared Health contract.
2. STARS Lottery: Annual lottery program in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba offering dream homes, cash prizes, vehicles, and the LUCKY STARS 50/50 (payout up to $4.5 million). STARS LOTTERY 2022 offered 2,500 prizes valued at over $4.8 million.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Community donations, corporate gifts, monthly giving programs, legacy giving, gift of securities, and event fundraising. In Alberta, STARS raises 80% of funding ($24 million) from private sector annually.
4. STARS Vigilant Industry Services: Work Alone Monitoring and Site Registration services for industrial partners in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Emergency Communications Centre providing 24/7 monitoring services.
5. Merchandise and Calendar Sales: STARS Calendar sales and merchandise shop offering branded items including the annual STARS Calendar featuring patient stories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

STARS provides critical care air ambulance (helicopter EMS) transport to critically ill and injured patients across Western Canada, operating 24/7 from six bases in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Each mission is staffed by specialized medical crews that deliver hospital-level care in-flight, including blood product transfusions, ultrasound monitoring, and advanced critical interventions. The STARS Emergency Link Centre coordinates dispatch and provides virtual care support across the network.

Product overview

STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service) is a non-profit charitable organization providing critical care transport services across Western Canada. The organization operates from six bases (Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Regina, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg) offering a unified emergency air ambulance service. The core product is critical care medical transport via medically-equipped helicopters, supplemented by the Emergency Link Centre for dispatch coordination, Education & Training programs, and Medical Transport services. Industry-specific offerings include STARS Vigilant (Work Alone Monitoring, Site Registration, and Emergency Communications Centre) available in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Fundraising programs include the STARS Lottery and STARS Calendar merchandise. The organization also produces the Mission Ready Podcast sharing real patient and mission stories. Since 1985, STARS has flown over 66,000 missions with an average of 10 missions daily.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STARS Lottery: Charitable lottery program offering dream homes and prizes to raise funds for STARS operations.
• STARS Vigilant
• Werklund STARS Academy
• Mission Ready Podcast

Products and services

• Critical Care Transport Emergency helicopter air ambulance service providing advanced critical care to critically ill and injured patients, transporting them rapidly to major trauma centres across Western Canada. Each mission is staffed by specialized medical crews that deliver hospital-level care in-flight, including blood pressure monitoring, oxygen saturation and CO2 monitoring, blood product transfusions, and ultrasound assessment of internal bleeding.
• Emergency Link Centre Centralized 24/7 emergency communications centre that manages hundreds of calls each week, coordinating dispatch and communication for STARS missions and providing virtual care support for patients across Western Canada. Also supports STARS Vigilant industrial monitoring services.
• Medical Transport Rapid emergency medical transportation service delivering critically ill and injured patients to specialized care facilities via medically-equipped helicopters operating 24/7 from six bases in Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Regina, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg.
• Education & Training Hands-on training programs for rural medical providers and transport medicine education, including the Werklund STARS Academy for Critical Care Transport Medicine Education.
• STARS Vigilant (Industry Safety Service Suite) Suite of workplace safety services for industrial partners including Work Alone Monitoring, Site Registration, and Emergency Communications Centre services to improve employee safety and emergency preparedness. Available in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
• STARS Lottery Annual lottery fundraiser offering dream homes, cash prizes, and other rewards, with proceeds supporting STARS operations. Available in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

Quantifiable outcome

• 66,000+ total missions since 1985
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Shared Health ManitobacoreOthers · 26 May 2022Two-year contract extension for Manitoba operations. Shared Health is Manitoba's provincial health system connector. STARS established permanent Winnipeg base in 2012 under 10-year contract. Has flown 5,000+ helicopter missions in Manitoba. Extension ensures uninterrupted service for Manitobans.
• Rescue on the River ParticipantsminorOthers · 28 March 2022Edmonton business and community leaders (David Leeworthy/First Truck, Sine Chadi/Imperial Equities, Shane Chrapko/Birds & Bees Distillery, Danielle Woo/West Edmonton Mall) raised $240,000+ at inaugural Rescue on the River fundraising event. Participants airlifted by helicopter and needed to raise $50,000 each for 'rescue'.
• WBM TechnologiescoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 March 2022Presenting sponsor of the Mission Ready podcast, a raw real storytelling series sharing STARS mission stories. WBM Technologies president JoeAnne Hardy stated STARS delivers life-saving services to communities where WBM is proud to live and work across Western Canada.
• Saskatchewan Ministry of HealthflagshipOthers · 1 January 202110-year service agreement renewal funding operations at 50% level. Government announced intention in late 2018, finalized early 2021. Includes purchase of one new H145 aircraft by Government of Saskatchewan and enhanced operating principles for STARS Emergency Link Centre, early automated dispatch, and transport physician roles.
• STARS Vigilant Industrial PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWork Alone Monitoring and Site Registration services for organizations in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Services include emergency response coordination through customized Emergency Response Plans. Contact: [email protected]

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ornge: Ontario's provincial air ambulance and critical care transport provider operating helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Most directly comparable to STARS as a Canadian non-profit/provincial HEMS operator delivering advanced critical care transport with government contract funding.
• LifeFlight of Maine: Non-profit helicopter air ambulance serving Maine with hospital consortium funding. Closely comparable governance and funding structure to STARS, with multi-hospital government contracts and charitable fundraising.
• REACH Air Medical Services: California-based helicopter and fixed-wing air ambulance operator providing critical care and interfacility transport. Comparable as a community-supported HEMS provider with government hospital contracts and donor funding.
• HALO Air Ambulance: Alberta-based helicopter air ambulance operator providing rapid critical care transport. Directly comparable as a regional HEMS competitor operating in STARS' core Alberta geography with similar mission profile and donor-funded model.

Broad incumbents

• PHI Air Medical: Major U.S. air medical and helicopter transport provider serving hospitals and EMS systems. Comparable as a broad HEMS incumbent delivering rotor-wing critical care transport with medical crew staffing.
• Med-Trans Corporation: National air medical transport provider operating hospital-based helicopter EMS programs across the U.S. Comparable as a HEMS operator partnering with health systems and government for critical care transport delivery.
• Air Methods: Largest U.S. air medical transport operator with nationwide helicopter EMS coverage. Comparable as a HEMS provider delivering critical care transport, though operating as a commercial for-profit rather than charity-funded model.

Regional players

• Calstar / CAL FIRE Air Operations: California-based air medical response and rescue provider. Adjacent peer offering rotor-wing critical care and search-and-rescue with comparable medical crew configuration, though government-funded rather than donor-funded.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/STARSNews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stars-critical-care

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service