Ål in and Bergen in the centre
The helicopter base in Bergen and in Ål are quite different. One is a central base right in the heart of Bergen, while the other is a mountain base in the middle of the country. But those who work there are equally warm-hearted.
Photo: Elin Åsbakk Lind
There is a crew change at the helicopter base in Bergen on a rather grey day. The base is located in the city centre at Nygårdstangen, and it has been temporarily situated there for quite a few more years than one would normally associate with the term "temporary".
In 2014, the plan was for the base to remain there temporarily for five years while awaiting the construction of a new, splendid base. Now in 2024, it is still a few years until the new base is realised, but the crew in Bergen at least has a view of the site where it is to be built, right across Store Lungegårdsvann.
Photo: Elin Åsbakk Lind
The crew in Bergen really gets to practise patience regarding the base facilities, but what is most important to them are the patients who need it the most.
- We are a city base because the ambulance car, which is part of the helicopter service, has so many missions in the city centre. We have between 450 and 470 missions with the ambulance car at the base annually, says medical leader Rune Aalvik at the Bergen base. The ambulance car is staffed with an anaesthetist and a rescue man, just like the helicopters, and is used when the helicopter cannot be deployed for various reasons or when the distance to the patient is short.
Photo: Elin Åsbakk Lind
Then the alarm goes off at the base, and this time it is the helicopter that is to go out on an emergency mission. The incoming crew hastens to prepare themselves.
Photo: Elin Åsbakk Lind
The response time is only 15 minutes from when they receive the mission from the AMK centre until they are to be in the air. During these minutes, the mission must be prepared with equipment and medical and operational information, the helicopter must be readied and driven out, and start-up procedures must be completed.
Photo: Elin Åsbakk Lind
More about the helicopter base in Bergen
Helicopter Land
Four and a half hours by car from Bergen on winding and bumpy roads along fjords, mountains, and Hardangervidda lies the mountain base in Ål. It is not only in the north that the pre-hospital service has long distances and challenging roads to contend with.
At the Ål base, the crew also temporarily resides at Torpomoen while awaiting the renovation of the permanent base in Ål centre. So far, their temporary situation has lasted for two years, but they are thriving in the temporary cabin facilities at Torpomoen. It is quiet and pleasant to be here.
- The Ål base is a mountain base, right in the middle of the country. This is truly helicopter land, meaning an area where helicopters are often the best resource to reach the patient when time is of the essence, says medical leader Vegard Rosenlund. The tourist season and holiday periods are particularly busy because there are many tourists in the mountains in this area.
More about the helicopter base in Ål
Good Conversations
Acting Managing Director of the Air Ambulance Service HF, Randi Spørck, wishes to meet those who work in the service to hear what they are concerned about and to gain valuable input. Access to fuel, base facilities, and better coordination of the national service were recurring themes.
Photo: Elin Åsbakk Lind
- We have had very good conversations with those working in Bergen and Ål, and I look forward to more such base visits. I am particularly concerned about how we can ensure that this highly skilled, specialised part of the pre-hospital service helps the right patients in the most efficient way possible in the future, says Spørck.