“ Ambulance Service spokesman.

Chopper |
calied in
to save
infant |

BY ANNA MARIE D'ANGELC
News Reporter

A 24-year-old child with
an obstructed airway
_ managed to avoid
North Shore traffic
obstructions on
‘Wednesday.
“The child was’ loaded en to a
helicopter and taken to B.C.

Children’s Hospital in Vancouver.
The child’s helicopter took off

_ on the urgent trip shortly before 6

p.m. from an emergency landing
site on the Grand Boulevard, a few
blocks from Lions Gate’ Hospital
(LGH).: a
The child was heading for the
Oak Street Hospital at almost the
“ height of the daily traffic congestion
associated with repairs to the »
*. Second Narrows Bridge. Soo
:.* “Because of traffic situation, it
"was felt that the helicopter was the
-best-'way to expedite the child's
. transport,” said Bob Pearce, B.C.

i

oat! ANGUL

f ou1cs

Friday, July 5, 1996 — North Shore News — 3

NEWS photo Brad Ledvidge

EMERGENCY workers load a cardiac patient aboard a helicopter on Tuesday at the. Grand .

Pearce said the child’s specialist
Boulevard near Lions Gate Hospital. The patient was flown to Vancouver Hospital at 5:30 p.m.

~flew over on. the chopper from a
helipad ‘near. Chiidren’s Hospital.
"He said the specialist had requested the child’s transfer.
- The helicopter. trip from North Vancouver to Vancouver took four min-
utes: ; “ coe, oo ,
Two infant transport.team paramedics were on board the chopper along
with the doctor. : ae
- Pearce said a cardiac: patient was helicoptered to Vancouver Hospital
from LGH the day before:

“The decision to use helicopters was made solely by B.C. Ambulance

Service personnel... —-
“Highways ‘spokesman Brenda Jones:said that the ministry and ambu-
iance service have planned emergency routes since January.

She said ambulances use the HOV lanes and can drive through the con-

purpose and will “handle anything” that comes its way. co
“The emphasis | liked to make is that people are safe living on the North
Shore.” said Best. : ; : s
She said the child's helicopter transfer was being set up as the hospital "
was under “Code Orange Alert.” . a
Tae hospital was preparing for an unknown amount of patients injured
in the Park Royal Towers’ fire. : - ee
“It was fairly exciting in emergency,” said Best. ;
Six people associated with the fire were taken to LGH.
Pearce said an average air vac using a plane or helicopter costs $2,523."
_ About 6.500 airvac patients’ crips are logged in a year in the province.
- -” He added that Wednesday's helicopter tip did not cost $2,523. :
Pearce said the ambulance service has not seriously looked at using the ..

stniction zone on the bridge.” :

Meanwhile LGH chief operating officer Lynette Best said the child-was

stabilized before the helicopter trip.

She-said that aithough LGH is not a trauma centre, the hospital is multi-

: a

Ss

_extra knots to
ferry more people

more SeaBus crossings will not
mean immediate relief for haggard
North Shore commuters. ; ;
“But Tuesday ‘afternoon's .four “lockouts” of
‘SeaBus passengers returning to North Vancouver .
has BC Transit considering its new option, said the

Crown corporation’s media relations manager,

. i Siight Lighte.......

“Crossword... secerenntsntnenscnvnsen
Gitiome & Garden
|W David Mitchell.

‘p North Shore a 4
: i Real Estate. sao saecacinssseneaeteenees ennessseseens 37
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upreme Court

Trace Acres.

. “That's getting close to the type of situation
when we would consider running off schedule but
it’s not quite, in our view, justified.” he said,

Actes said a lockout occurs when more than the
maximum’ 400: passengers want to board the

-SeaBus. On Tuesday afternoon, as many as 50 peo-

ple were left behind on the lockout sailings.

Since work on the Second Narrows. Bridge
started, some stressed car commuters” have
switched to the SeaBus, where ridership has grown
35% to 40%. ‘ ;

The same day the four lockouts occurred, the

"B.C. Supreme Court approved BC Transit’s appli-

cation for relaxed speed limits for a two-month
period ending Sept. |.

The SeaBus will now be allowed to operate at
13.5 knots, two knots more than the previous 11.5

kot timit. ‘That limit was imposed in 1977, when

AMBLESIDE
DUNDARAVE
EAGLE HARBOUR
CATES PARK
PANORAMA

SeaBus as an alternative way to get patients to Vancouver. se
Transport Canada has approved the use of the Grand Boulevard. for
emergency helicopter landings while the bridge repairs are under way.

operators of other harbor businesses complained of .

wake disturbance frem SeaBus ferries. a

Acres said BC Transit only plans to take advan-
tage of the higher speeds in the middle of the run.
If speeds are increased, the SeaBus could operate
five runs an hour each way. instead of four. If

unloading procedures are changed, BC Transit

could operate up to six nuns an hour, said Acres.
Acres said the intent’of the application was to

provide SeaBus with increased flexibility tocrun:

off-schedule when loads demanded it, He. cited the
popular Symphony of Fire fireworks festival as a

“time when capacity could be exceeded and more

runs may be necessary.

After the two-month trial, BC Transit will go
back to the courts and apply for pernanent relief
from the 11.5-knot speed restriction. BC Transit will
be liable for any damages caused by an increase in
wake activity due to the increased SeaBus speed,

wee "Nd
COLIFORM COUNTS -
22 | *
25
153
140
152

‘All beaches are open. Fecal coliforms counts of over 200 means fecal coliforms are in sufficient
quantities to contravene Health Canada guidelines and suggest the water is not safe for swimming.
|» Fecal coliform indicates there is human or animal fecal contamination in the water,

“THE photo radar system that

mistakenly nailed'a North |,
ouver man for speeding,

“despite'the fact that it wasn’t

his vehicle caught on camera
will be'implemented at the
beginning of August...
Shue Tuck Wong was:
issued a warning ticket:after,
a person manually checking
photo radar picture got the:

Hicence, plate number, wrong. «

‘Said Transportation and
Highways Minister Lois |.”

‘Boone, “We have determined

that/an alternative manual
system of processing radar.
photos will function reliably.
A system that was fo hav
been fully automated will
now involve the following ©
process: ‘ ee
@ a speeding vehicle will trig-
ger a camera shutter and 2.
strobe fight, used to enhance
the quality of the picture; *
@ the’speed of the vehicle, ::
date and time will be printed -

‘on the camera film}.

@ the vehicle licence plate

-will be manually matched

with the registered owner
who will be sent a violation

‘ticket and photograph of the,
f

vehicle; . ;
@ the registered owner will.
receive the ticket about 10.
days after the alleged offence;
@ the registered owner pays: |"
the ticket, disputes the fine or
nominates the actual driver...
For more on this issue

‘please turn to page nine of
today’s News. 90