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LifeFlight will unveil permanent site in Bar Harbor to speed patient transport

A field has outlines on it. Photo / Courtesy LifeFlight of Maine The helipad surface is paved and has lights that turn on automatically as the aircraft approaches.
By Laurie Schreiber

LifeFlight of Maine is opening a permanent helipad in Bar Harbor this week for medevac operations.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 3, at 11 a.m., next to the helipad at 349 Main St. The public is invited.

The helipad is expected to significantly enhance swift access to advanced care for critically ill and injured patients in Bar Harbor and surrounding areas by allowing LifeFlight of Maine helicopters to land closer to Mount Desert Island Hospital.

Saving time

LifeFlight of Maine, the state’s only air ambulance service, was founded in 1998.

In Bar Harbor, LifeFlight helicopters had previously landed on a baseball field. When the weather was bad or the ground was unsuitable to support an aircraft, LifeFlight would land its helicopter at the Bar Harbor ferry terminal. A patient would be transported to the helicopter via ambulance. The helipad will reduce the amount of time patients spend in transit.

The helipad surface is paved and has lights that turn on automatically as the aircraft approaches, which enhances safety for flight operations.

Construction of the helipad began earlier this summer after funds were raised for the project.

A significant donation came from a private foundation with ties to the Bar Harbor community, according to a news release.

Another donor based in Bar Harbor made a contribution that will be given to the town of Bar Harbor to support a maintenance fund for the helipad. MDI Hospital also contributed to the project.

Better access

While LifeFlight expects to use it most often, the town-owned helipad can be utilized by any emergency helicopter. 

Nearly all of the 35 hospitals in Maine have permanent helicopter landing areas. 

The helipad is at the intersection of Park and Main streets.

“This year-round helipad creates better access for patients, as well as smoother and faster transitions of patients into LifeFlight’s care,” said Joe Kellner, CEO of LifeFlight of Maine. “LifeFlight is much more than just helicopters. Hospital helipads are critical access points to specialty medical care.”

LifeFlight’s goals include facilitating the development of infrastructure, Kellner noted.

“Since LifeFlight started providing services to Bar Harbor, we have depended on seasonal temporary landing zones,” said Matthew Bartlett, Bar Harbor’s fire chief. “With the new, year-round landing pad, we can shorten turnaround times between the landing zone and patients transferring from Mount Desert Island Hospital.”

Construction details

The project cost was about $250,000, Henry Frank, LifeFlight of Maine’s director of communications, told Mainebiz.

“LifeFlight of Maine has worked closely with MDI Hospital and the Town of Bar Harbor for several years to bring this project to fruition,” Frank said. “First and foremost, the priority is to ensure safe and reliable access to critical care for both residents and visitors to Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island.”

The location was identified and approved by the town. LifeFlight’s team worked with contractors hired by the town to build the helipad, sharing expertise particularly related to Federal Aviation Administration guidance and rules concerning helipads.

“For example, FAA-certified helipads require certain clearances — the flight path to and from the helipad must be free from obstructions such as trees and powerlines — as well as lighting and markings so a pilot can clearly identify the helipad from the air,” Frank said.

LifeFlight’s infrastructure engineer, John Rolfson, developed a lighting system specifically for the Bar Harbor.

Weather cameras

LifeFlight of Maine completed installation of 35 weather cameras statewide.

The organization said it now has the largest collection of publicly accessible and privately maintained aviation weather cameras in the nation. 

A paved area is next ot water.
Photo / Courtesy LifeFlight of Maine
LifeFlight completed its project to install 35 weather cameras statewide. This photo was taken from LifeFlight’s camera at Northern Light Blue Hill Hospital.

LifeFlight’s pilots use the cameras for a real-time view of weather and runway conditions, which further enhances aviation safety for pilots and expands access to critical health care for patients across the state. The cameras are also used to increase security at rural airports. The project was made possible by a grant awarded through the Maine Emergency Management Agency. The cameras are also used by the Federal Aviation Administration. Images from the cameras are accessible to all pilots and the public on the FAA’s website.

“If we have to fly to a location and then determine that an airport is unsafe to land at, that can create a delay in patient care,” says John Rolfson, LifeFlight’s aviation infrastructure engineer. 

Traditional weather reporting stations don’t always paint the full picture, he added. 

The completion of the project benefits all aviators across Maine.

The project is serving as a model for air medical operations in other parts of the country with similarly complicated weather and geography, according to the organization

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