Orcas Island Fire and Rescue has established remote landing zones near outlying fire stations stations where Airlift Northwest helicopters can land to pick-up patients. Most of the medical flights leave from the Eastsound airport but sometimes weather, and sometimes patient care causes paramedics and pilots to use one of the alternate landing zones.

Last week, a patient from Deer Harbor experiencing chest pain was flown out using a remote landing zone.

“This transport saved precious time for the patient,” Captain Maxx Jones said.

While the helicopter is landing, loading the patient and taking off the nearby road has to be closed. Last week few were inconvenienced by the 20 minutes the road was closed.

Occasionally, the OIFR has to change the landing areas, but always a Orcas resident with a field steps up to volunteer their land. Airlift Nortwest and the OIFR will then do a test run so the pilots can use GPS to learn the new landing zone location.