A few hundred people got a behind-the-scenes look at how STARS Air Ambulance operates in Manitoba during an open house at it's Winnipeg base this past weekend. Base

Director Grant Terrien says visitors got to explore the rescue helicopter and interact with crew members.

"People love to be able to get up close and talk to the staff about what it takes to be a part of the team, what kind of missions we go on and what's the funding model for STARS? We're here to be transparent and to answer questions, to really get to know the community and allow the community to get to know us."

STARS President and CEO, Andrea Robertson, says that while air ambulance offers a service to rural parts of the province it is for all Manitobans. "People in Winnipeg live their lives on the road going to lake country (and) doing all the things that they enjoy, so the service is here for them as well."

Meantime, Terrien took the day to encourage Manitobans to be safe this summer - or as he calls it - the trauma season.

"So many of the incidents we go to are preventable so we encourage folks to just be safety conscious."

As people head out to enjoy the warming weather, he reminds them to practice road safety, water safety and quad safety.