On July 11 Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS) began landing at a temporary helipad on the west side of the Cypress Regional Hospital in Swift Current, and there is still plenty of work to be done before a permanent helipad is set up.

There are a number of groups involved in the transition to a permanent helipad, including STARS, Cypress Regional Health Board, the City of Swift Current, Transport Canada and a private company to do certifications.

The original helipad, located on the east side of the hospital, was closer to the emergency room. But developments on the east of the hospital that have taken place in recent years have STARS asking for their next landing spot to be certified in accordance to Transport Canada's Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs).

Barry Tolmie is the aviation base manager for STARS in Saskatoon and has flown in and out of Swift Current many times, as the location is one of the most-visited sites for STARS to retrieve patients.

Tolmie said that while he's confident their crew and their helicopters could safely retrieve patients at the original site, they want something certified that's in accordance with Transport Canada's regulations.

"When we first started [in Swift Current] there was nothing really on the east side of the hospital, and then things started getting built, like the long-term-care facility, the housing development to the north, and then just along the side of the road there are some businesses," said Tolmie. "We can come and go safely, that's not a problem, but we're not in consultation with Transport. We're not meeting the spirit of what it is. A permanent solution needs to be made, because the Swift Current facility is definitely a catch basin for the whole southwest corner of the province."

As far as what they're able to do, Tolmie said they could probably safely land on an intersection in the middle of town. But it's a balancing act between having the most-efficient route for bringing the patient from the emergency room in the hospital to either the Saskatoon or Regina hospital.

The temporary pad is a longer push to bring patients from the emergency room to the helicopter, so while it's free (for now) of development in the area, it's not ideal long term.

"Right now we're over to the west side of the hospital because there's nothing on that side of the hospital right now," said Tolmie. "We're not overflying anything. It's nothing but fields to the west side, so we're utilizing that. But we have to do a transfer through. It's good that we're still landing there, but it's still a long push because ER's on the other side of the hospital. So that's why we're asking for a company to come in and take a look to see if there's feasibility for us to go back to that same location and go from there."

There are several companies that specialize in helipad certifications, and the Cypress Regional Health Board is in the process of determining which company to use.

"It has not yet been decided which consultant or company will be used to provide recommendations on the necessary certifications," said the Health Board's chief executive officer/chief administrative officer Larry Allsen. "We are in the process of making contact with possible consultants that can provide such recommendations. It is our hope to have certifications in place as soon as possible, however specific timelines won’t be known until a consultant report is completed."

The original helipad cost roughly $20,000, and currently the Health Region is in discussion with the province's Ministry of Health regarding how funding for a new helipad would be split up. The original one was divided, with the Ministry of Health covering 80 per cent of the cost, and the Health Region covering the remaining 20 per cent.

Allsen said the Health Region will be in contact with the City of Swift Current once a report and recommendations come back from whichever private company it is that winds up doing the certification.

"Any necessary discussions with the City of Swift Current will take place once a report and its recommendations are completed," he said. "In the past, the City has been involved with the planning efforts of STARS landing areas and will continue to be in the future."

STARS flies dual-engine helicopters with two pilots, in case anything were to happen to an engine or a pilot.

There's no specific timeline as to when the region will have a certified helipad. It's an as-soon-as-possible thing, but there is definitely a process that goes into planning and constructing something permanent.