Life-Guard 12 To Get New Home in Lexington

Carilion Stonewall Jackson Hospital in Lexington is to begin construction on a helicopter hangar, crew quarters and offices mid-March. The new facility, located on .411 acres behind CSJH, will be the permanent location for Carilion Clinic’s Life-Guard 12 helicopter.

The new hangar will allow the EC135 aircraft to be hangared during inclement weather and extreme temperatures. Additionally, the hangar space will permit routine maintenance to be performed on-site, decreasing the need to relocate the helicopter to Roanoke and remain in its primary service area.

“Crew quarters and offices will adjoin the hangar. Having crew quarters at the same location as the helipad optimizes response times from the time of the request to the time they are airborne,” explained Susan Smith, director at Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation. “We are also excited to have Carilion’s Lexington ground division co-located in this new facility.”

Furthermore, the site will include an above ground Jet-A fuel tank. This tank will help to maximize operations by allowing Life-Guard 12 better access to fuel for long distance flights.