STARS Manitoba has been serving the province for over 10 years and through that time, there's been a fair share of intense weather events.

Communications Officer for STARS Manitoba Blake Robert says whether it be snow, rain, hail, or even simply strong winds, STARS does their best to get out into the community and help those who need to be taken to a hospital. He mentions, that while they want to help everyone, they can't afford to put themselves at risk either.

"Safety is a core value at STARS," explains Robert. "Before any mission is accepted STARS pilots review the weather conditions in the areas where we're flying and if it's not safe to do so for our aircraft, pilots, crews, and, most importantly. our patients, we won't be able to accept the mission."

He adds, that while they aren't able to go out during these events, they don't happen frequently. When they do occur, they also don't tend to stick around for too long. He notes the phrase that Manitobans often hear, 'if you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes and it will change.'

Robert explains that the storm that we experienced on the morning of July 19th would've hindered their ability to fly.

"This is where our connection with the rest of the health care system really comes into play," says Robert. "We work with people at the receiving facilities in rural parts of Manitoba with ground EMS and first responders to say, 'OK if weather is impeding our ability to fly at this moment, how can we best serve our patient and its image that teamwork working together that ensures the best possible outcome?'"

He notes that staying knowledgeable about certain weather events, as well as working alongside EMS and hospitals, is vital to the success of STARS.