In September of 2022, a group of residents appeared before Council to express their desire to see a helipad or “emergency evacuation zone” established to in the open field area adjacent to the Visitor’s Information Centre (VIC).
At that time, a group of residents proposed paving the parking lot beside the VIC.
The group said they were willing to find funding opportunities and whatever else was needed to pave a 36X36 foot area, “to increase safety by reducing flying rocks when helicopters use this site.”
They proposed that this area could be designated for emergencies only, where unauthorized vehicles would be towed.
At the time, there had been a rash of incidents where BC Ambulance Services were not readily available, either through local or Provincial resources for a variety of reasons.
According to Fire Chief Dustin Curry, the project would not be as simple as paving the area. He says in 2018, the project was considered at the time, with an estimated cost of $350,000.
Curry contacted three stakeholders to see if a helipad was needed. These included BC Emergency Health Services’ (BCEHS, who operate the ambulance service in the province) Rotary Wing Aviation Operations Division, STARS Helicopters, and Northern Health.
“Out of these discussions, both BCEHS and STARS were supportive of the idea,” says Curry in a recent report to council. “However, they did not feel that the establishment of a helipad landing area would change their operational response to the community.”
He says that both services agreed that having a helipad or not does not necessitate that a helicopter can or will respond in an emergency. “Committing air resources to an incident or request is based on a series of rubrics, or criteria, in order to scale the severity of the incident and ensure that critical resource are put to the best use,” says Curry. “Air resources are also subject to weather condition limitations and may not be able to land regardless of an established helipad or area being in place.”
Indeed, he says neither BCEHS or STARS had negative comments to the current landing zone situation and emergency service personnel often receive complementary feedback from flight crews when coming to Tumbler Ridge.
Northern Health, on the other hand, states that patient transport is the responsibility of BCEHS and was neutral on the establishment of a dedicated area. “When asked if Northern Health would consider a helipad as a part of future renovations of the TR Medical Centre, they could not provide an answer,” says Curry. “However, they stated that when looking at other operations similar to Tumbler Ridge, it was not likely. Discussions around alternatives such as building a parking lot for the Medical Centre in the currently utilized landing area with the guise of transforming the current parking lot into a helipad area were not favourable to Northern Health.”
In situations where helicopters are unable to land near the Visitor Information Centre, there is always the option of having them land at the airport and transporting patients there, says Curry.
Council was lukewarm on the idea. Says Councillor Norbury, “Ultimately, the report outlines the fact that the two user groups that would use a potential helipad says it won’t affect our operational ability. If our emergency personnel feel that it won’t increase their capacity or ability, we might just be spending $350,000 on a helipad for nothing.”
He says the biggest concern is that the current area might be inaccessible in winter and suggests the District add the area to the snow clearing policy.
Mayor Krakowka says that in the past, when the area needed to be cleared of snow in the winter, public works was able to get the area cleared before the helicopter arrived. “I’m not sure if it’s actually on our snow removing policy,” he says. “If it’s not, we could probably add it. I have worked for BC Ambulance, so I know it’s been cleared last minute.”
Chief Curry says the area is not defined in the snow clearing policy because it’s outside of anything that needs to be done on a routine basis.
“Typically when we’re alerted that they are going to be landing a helicopter, we have upwards of 30 minutes in order to try and get that area ready,” he says. “This includes closing off streets and things like that. It’s more than ample enough time to have a loader come through and clear it, if it’s warranted.”
He says the area is cleaned as needed throughout the year so they are not trying to clear six feet of snow. “It is part of Public Work’s operational plans to ensure that area does get done, but it’s not a specific part of the policy.”
He says these days, they’re seeing more fixed-wing aircraft landing at the airport, which he describes as “safer.”
Finally, Curry points out that BCEHS has made a number of significant changes to ambulance services in Tumbler Ridge and the surrounding communities over the last couple years. “[These changes] will result in increased full time coverage for the District of Tumbler Ridge.”
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
