Many municipalities have built helipads so STARS can land and take off in close proximity to health care centres.

Black Diamond Mayor Ruth Goodwin says they have one but they're not able to use it.

"The newer helicopters have an additional two feet in the tail and our current pad will not safely be able to accommodate the newer helicopters," she says. "It has affected a lot of municipalities that had STARS landing relatively close to their local hospital, this additional accommodation of having to have an additional site has added approximately 15 minutes of travel time."

Goodwin says they've been told they can't just add on to the helipad so they'll be approaching the Province for help finding land and money to build a new one.

She says when STARS comes to the Oilfields hospital now they have to get in touch with the local volunteer fire department and fire chief Jamie Campbell to come out and provide a safe space for them to land.

STARS interfacility trips involving Black Diamond in 2020 came to ten, or double what they'd done the year before.

Black Diamond Scene and SAR went from two in 2019 to five in 2020.

Goodwin says STARS is an invaluable service that has saved many lives over the years.

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