A new and improved helicopter pad will replace the current uncertified landing site at the Parks Canada maintenance yard by the end of the year, according to Alberta Health Services (AHS).
The upgrades to the gravel landing site are expected to begin this summer, with construction completed by the fall, said Shelly Pusch, AHS chief zone officer for the north zone.
AHS identified Jasper as a prime recipient for a certified heliport in October, because of a steady increase in the number of Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS) missions to the community.
In 2014, STARS made six flights to Jasper to transfer patients from Seton Healthcare Centre to more advanced trauma centres in the province, using the uncertified landing site. It also completed four on scene missions in the area.
In comparison, STARS transferred four patients from the hospital in 2013 and two patients in 2012.
A certified heliport will allow helicopters to use the site on a consistent basis and includes facilities such as fuel and lighting.
There will also be a designated manager ensuring the site is safe and maintained, such as removing snow in the winter. The site will also be published in the Canada Flight Supplement, the country’s official airport directory.
Prior to its decision, AHS conducted an assessment, outlining five possible locations for a new site, including two sites at the hospital.
“We had considered looking at the Seton Healthcare Centre, but given the build up near the facility and issues with the flight path, it could not be built to accommodate the single engine helicopters,” said Pusch.
“There were also opportunities for considerable cost savings by building in the Parks Canada maintenance yard.”
According to the assessment, one of the biggest drawbacks with the selected site is patients will have to be transferred by ambulance from the hospital to the waiting helicopter and vice versa—a process that can take as long as 15 minutes because of the railway tracks across Hazel Avenue.
“With this decision, Parks Canada ensures that essential emergency services remain accessible to the community of Jasper and operational efficiencies are achieved with the improved landing site,” said Cathy Jenkins, realty and municipal manager for Jasper National Park, in an emailed statement. As part of the deal, STARS will share the landing site with helicopters contracted out to Parks Canada.
Pusch said the final cost for the project will not be known until tenders for the project are received in June, but said it will be covered by AHS through Alberta Infrastructure.
“We’re very pleased to see it going forward,” she said. “It definitely will provide better access to emergency care to patients in the community and surrounding area.”
Paul Clarke
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