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People in Warman witnessed something unusual on Tuesday: A bright red STARS helicopter landing on a city road – twice.
According to Warman Fire Rescue deputy chief, Kevin Schwartz, it was because of two separate cardiac arrests on Aug. 11.
The first happened around 4:35 p.m. to a 79-year-old man. Then, just before 7 p.m., an 8-year-old child also suffered a serious cardiac arrest.
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“It doesn’t happen very often,” that STARS lands within Warman’s city limits, Schwartz said, let alone twice in just a few hours.
“Most of the time it’s outside (city limits), usually because of motor vehicle collisions,” he added.
Grant Therrien, provincial director for Saskatchewan operations at STARS, said though its more common for the emergency service to land on highways or open fields, the technology of the helicopters and expertise of the pilots mean STARS can land “pretty well anywhere.” That includes residential areas.
The second STARS response was on Clubhouse Boulevard, according to Joanne Fedorowich Loveridge. (Joanne Fedorowich Loveridge/submitted)
“Our goal is always to get as close as we can to the patient regardless of the circumstances,” he said.
Though, landing in an area like Warman requires help from other emergency service partners.
In this case, Therrien said Warman Fire Rescue had to ensure there was a proper landing zone, with bystanders kept a safe distance away, for the helicopter to land.
Wanuskewin Road closure not a factor in STARS request
Schwartz said in both instances, the Medical Communications Centre (MCC), which dispatches ambulances, made the request for STARS, not Warman Fire Rescue.
It was because of the severity of the two cardiac arrests, according to Schwartz. He said when MCC requests emergency services from STARS it’s because often, “the time limit for the patient is way better than transporting.”
The time it would take someone to get from Warman into a Saskatoon hospital has become a point of contention on social media.
Specifically, people commenting on Warman Fire Rescue’s Facebook post about the Aug. 11 events blamed Saskatoon’s road construction for causing intense traffic delays, preventing people in Warman from making it to a hospital quickly.
At the end of July, Wanuskewin Road, one of the major routes connecting Warman to Saskatoon, closed for open-cut pipe installation work. The road is shut down for the next three months.
Warman Fire Rescue deputy chief, Kevin Schwartz, said, “it doesn’t happen very often” that STARS lands on one of the city’s residential roads. (Warman Fire Rescue/Facebook)
Online, one person wrote, “until there is an unobstructed route to the city I think this will become a regular occurrence.”
Another said, “I’m assuming because of the Wanuskewin closure?”
A third posted, “guessing city lack of knowledge forced this by the lack of competency for the road closures.”
According to Warman Mayor Gary Philipchuk, though, the calls for STARS had nothing to do with Saskatoon construction.
“The temporary closure of Wanuskewin Road had no impact on either of these decisions,” he wrote about the two landings.
“The decision to request STARS was based on the needs of the patients and the level of care required,” Philipchuk added.
