The closure of Pacific Western Helicopters is one more reason to bring dedicated rapid-response air ambulance helicopter service for northern B.C., says Helicopter Emergency Response Operations Society executive director Roberta Squire.
"It's unfortunate that Pacific Western is closing its doors but that actually has added the urgency and willingness to work with HEROS," Squire said this week.
Full-time emergency response medical helicopters and crews are based in Vancouver, Kelowna, Kamloops and Prince Rupert but in this region the service is provided by private companies on an as-needed basis. Critics say that's not good enough when time is of the essence.
A dedicated service would be ready to fly within minutes of receiving a call and pilots would be equipped with night-vision technology to allow flights in darkness to remote areas in most weather conditions.
The service would respond both to work-related emergencies in the bush and to collisions on the region's highways.
An official from B.C. Emergency Health Services, which operates the province's ambulance service, said BCEHS has has used Pacific Western as an ad hoc provider in the past.
"However, it should be noted that Pacific Western only transported one patient last year and has a very low air ambulance call volume," the official said. "The majority of the calls are handled by other companies in the area.
"In addition, helicopters transport very few patients in the north - less than two per cent last year. Due to the vast distances in the North, the majority of transports are completed using fixed wing aircraft."
However, BCEHS will be meeting with HEROS in January to discuss air ambulance service and potential enhancements, the official added.
Because University Hospital of Northern B.C. lacks a trauma centre, patients are flown to the Lower Mainland.
HEROS has its sights set on purchasing a fully-equipped helicopter currently located in Louisiana for $6 million. It would take a further $5 million a year to run the service, Squire has said.
The cause is starting to draw some support, according to Squire.
"We've got a national corporate sponsor, we've got local companies coming forward, we've got B.C. Ambulance wanting to meet with us," Squire said.
HEROS directors will meet in January to determine whether there is enough support to continue on "but what it looks like right now is very promising," Squire said.
