Grand Forks city council hasn’t decided whether to let drag racing go ahead at the airport next year after hearing that this year’s event prevented four medevac flights.
Fire chief Rich Piché told council this week that September’s drag races, organized by the people behind the BC DragiT Challenge, was very successful. However, while the event is underway, alternate arrangements have to be made for medical-related aviation.
In this case, Piché said he was told four medevac flights weren’t able to use the airport, although BC Emergency Health Services was notified in advance to make alternate arrangements. Piche said it wouldn’t have been practical to move everything out of the way to accommodate medevac flights during the event.
“They were very clear that while this event’s happening, they would not land the airplane there, period,” Piché said. “As soon as we run a car down the strip and we’ve altered the strip, they will not land.”
City manager Duncan Redfearn said under airport regulations, private aircraft have more latitude to decide where they land, but for medevac and commercial flights, any alteration to the runway, including the addition of bleachers or equipment, will generally prevent them from landing.
Drag race organizers told council in a letter that they had fewer cars but far more spectators than they expected this year, and they would like to expand the event to two days next year.
Councillor Deborah Lafleur said she wasn’t comfortable going to two days, due to concerns over the missed medevac flights, but other councillors thought they could accommodate the longer event.
“I’m in favor of two days,” councillor Rod Zielinski said. “Once we get the people here we can keep here and they can spend more money in the area. I think we can walk and chew gum at the same time.”
Council decided they wanted more information first, including what criteria determines whether medevac flights use the airport versus the helicopter landing pad at the hospital.
Mayor Everett Baker told Vista Radio after the meeting that he is optimistic an expanded event can operate next year without compromising medevac needs.
“As a mayor that takes health care very seriously in my community, it’s something we need to look at, but I’m almost positive there are other protocols in place,” he said.
“Anything that brings new groups to our community and exposes Grand Forks, I’m 100 per cent in favor of, so we just need to find a way to make this work.”
We have requested comment from the event organizers.
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