It is run by a charitable trust formed in 1998, with major sponsor the Otago Regional Council.

Some of the BK117 aircraft are fitted with a 76 m (249 ft) winch (HUP, sometimes IWG), a 30 million candlepower searchlight, and a neonatal intensive-care incubator.

On board the crew has night vision goggles, dual GPS, satellite phone and a range of communications equipment.

The Otago Rescue Helicopter Trust was founded in 1998 to meet the cost of running the service, and funded the construction of the helipad on the roof of Dunedin Public Hospital.

The service needs an additional NZ$400,000 – 500,000 annually, since 2008 the Otago Regional Council provides $250,000 per year.