LOGAN, Utah — A medical helicopter is officially calling the helipad at Logan Regional Hospital in a move that could help people in northern Utah and southern Idaho.
On Tuesday, the officials did their thing, including a ribbon-cutting, to officially welcome a Lifeflight base to Logan. It's a service that was needed for Ethan Downs when his bowels twisted and he went septic.
"I wouldn’t stand here and be vulnerable for just anybody. But on my to-do list for the last five months has been to thank Lifeflight," said Beth Downs, Ethan's mother, at the ceremony.
Land-based firefighters got a chanced to check out the new base.
One of the big advantages to having Lifeflight stationed in Logan is its ability to quickly get to areas off the beaten path.
"To have them here, so much closer, to be able to respond to Logan Canyon and any of our backcountry calls, and anything else we have going on in the valley, it’s going to change the time frame quite a bit," said Logan City Fire Capt. Ken Grohl.
Now, when a serious call comes in, first responders can immediately put Lifeflight on standby.
"Airborne is less than 10 minutes and up the canyon, depending on how far, in 10-15 minutes," said Paul Bunnell, who serves as the lead pilot at the Logan base.
Several crew members already live in Cache Valley, meaning a shorter commute time.
"[The helicopter] will provide a quick enough response time that I think that there will be lives saved because we have this helicopter right here," Bunnell said.
