Safety first around BBGH helicopter landing pad

Above is Regional West Medical Center’s Air Link helicopter landing at the BBGH helipad located on the east side of the facility.

Box Butte General Hospital (BBGH) Safety Officer James Koeteman has a very simple message for patients and their family members who see a flight for life helicopter approaching or leaving the hospital’s helicopter landing pad located on the east side of the hospital. “Stay away,” he warned. “The wash (wind) from a helicopter approaching or leaving the helipad can be as much as 100 mph. That’s enough to blow people over, and make even small flying objects, such as gravel, dangerous.”

Best practices indicate a distance of at 300 feet or greater be maintained when a helicopter is landing or taking off. “If you are in the east parking lot wanting to access The Rehab & Wellness Center when a helicopter is landing, please wait in your vehicle until the helicopter has powered down,” he said. “The same applies when a helicopter is powering up to take off. If already in the building and wanting to exit via the east entrance, wait inside until a staff member indicates it is safe to leave. Under no circumstances should anyone approach the landing pad when occupied by a helicopter, even when powered down.” He added that when a helicopter is present on the east landing pad with rotors moving, arriving patients and family members have the option of using the hospital’s main entrance on the west side of the building to access The Rehab & Wellness Center.

Again, staff will be on hand inside the building to indicate when it is safe to exit The Rehab and Wellness Center’s east entrance/exit. “This is for your safety, as well as the safety of the helicopter crew and BBGH staff assisting with patient transfers,” Mr. Koeteman concluded.

Box Butte General Hospital is an equal opportunity provider and employer.