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Test helicopter flights and a test of the Deck Integrated Fire Fighting System (DIFFS) installed at the new Launceston General Hospital (LGH) helipad will be undertaken as the helipad nears operational status.
Testing of the fire system will happen at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, 1 October 2024, with a helicopter to conduct test landings and take-offs on Monday, 7 October 2024.
The $16 million helipad has been constructed with the latest DIFFS technology.
In an unlikely event of a fire on the helipad, the DIFFS ensures a fast and effective response to contain the incident.
The DIFFS features multiple nozzles installed flush with the deck surface. If a fire occurs, the nozzles automatically telescope and spray water onto the helipad.
Safety is paramount when constructing new infrastructure, and this system will ensure fire containment in the event of an emergency.
While the helipad will contain much of the water used in the testing, there may be some water spray drift onto adjacent areas. Only potable water is being used for the testing that does not contain any firefighting substances or chemicals.
Having test flights arrive and depart from the helipad is a standard requirement from regulators, and this will be a crucial part of the checks conducted on the helipad prior to it becoming operational. Ambulance Tasmania’s aeromedical services provider, Rotorlift Aviation, will conduct a number of approaches and departures to and from the helipad as part of the testing from late afternoon and into the night on Monday, 7 October 2024. Test flights should be completed by 10:00 pm.
The new helipad will enhance Tasmania’s aeromedical response to medical emergencies, allowing the rapid transport of patients to the LGH for treatment.
The helipad will support the hospital’s medical professionals, allowing them to provide life-saving medical care as efficiently as possible.