Port Elizabeth in New Jersey has installed a helipad at the port site as the inability to clear the way for medical vehicles was a serious concern due to the high demand and traffic volume.
APM Terminals Port Elizabeth handles more than 2,500 trucks and 5,000 terminal gate transactions every day and rising. Therefore, Port Elizabeth’s Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) team called on the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) to help them assess the viability of installing the helipad at the site.
Members of the HSSE and operations teams joined the police in an aerial assessment to pinpoint the best location for the helipad.
The NJSP aviation unit works in conjunction with the University Medical Center in Newark. So, in the event of a medical emergency, the Regional Emergency Medical Communication System would be called upon to dispatch a helicopter medevac. Two medical helicopters are based in New Jersey. One, the Northstar, is located just approximately 58 km from the terminal.
The helipad has yet to be used for a medical emergency, but as Candice Revill, site director HSSE at APM Terminals Elizabeth said, if needed, “getting that person to a medical facility quickly could make a huge difference.”
Apart from building a helipad, safety improvements at the terminal include the installation of a new chassis pinning area, increased signage for drivers, new gate arms and improved communication with the trucking community, with more measures planned for 2023.
