There is at least one medical helicopter that will be able to land at the rooftop helipads on the new hospitals in the Comox Valley and Campbell River.

And it鈥檚 based right on the Island in Parksville.

Ascent Helicopters, a family-owned firm, was, in fact, contracted by the provincial government to provide air ambulance service to several lower mainland hospitals when they had their helipad certifications downgraded last year.

Helijet normally provides most of the air ambulance service in the province, flying the Sikorsky S-76C+ but couldn鈥檛 provide the service when the helipad certifications were changed.

While that problem was eventually sorted out, Ascent Helicopters stands by ready to provide medevac services with its MD-902 Explorer aircraft.

And not only that, two of its pilots are now certified for night vision goggle flying 鈥� a particularly useful tool on the North Island and west coast of the Island.

Ascent is the first helicopter company in B.C. to have that capability.

The Comox Strathcona Regional Hospital District board is so concerned about the helipads at the new hospitals that it filed a freedom of information request to Island Health last month.

The contract for the two new hospitals stipulates an H2 standard helipad at both. Now there are questions, especially in Campbell River, whether they鈥檒l get that certification.

If they don鈥檛, the types of helicopters that will be able to land become severely restricted.

Chad Friesen, a senior pilot with Ascent, says his firm is conducting Transport Canada certification tests at the new hospital helipads on Aug. 28 and Sept. 15, dependent on the weather. These tests are at Transport Canada鈥檚 expense.

He said Transport Canada has a long list of different restrictions.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the big question: what the requirements are going to be,鈥� he said.

One of the key requirements is being able to clear obstacles when taking off. Campbell River, he said, may be in such a position that obstacles prevent safe departures.

Nevertheless, he鈥檚 confident in his company鈥檚 MD-902 helicopter to do the job.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very, very capable, very impressive,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have to see what Transport Canada points out, but we should be able to do it without any problems.鈥�

The twin-engined MD-902 has no tail rotor, so it鈥檚 smaller and quieter. It starts up and shuts down very quickly.

鈥淚t鈥檚 up and go,鈥� Friesen said.

Ascent鈥檚 Withanie Lemke said the firm鈥檚 president, Trent Lemke, chooses the company鈥檚 aircraft carefully.

Ascent currently has 11 machines, and around 60 employees. There are satellite bases in Fernie and Langley.

The company does a lot of work for BC Hydro, film and television, fire fighting and heli-skiing, as well as medevacs.

Lemke said 鈥渨e鈥檙e trying to make sure people know we鈥檙e here鈥� when it comes to the helipads at the new hospitals.

鈥淲e feel that our service is complementary to Helijet,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 not a lot of people know we have an Island-based helicopter qualified medevac service. There is an alternate available.鈥�