Quilcene Fire Rescue (QFR) has designated a new helicopter landing zone in Quilcene while the usual site is unavailable for about six months.

From now until June 1, 2015, Worthington Park’s open field, behind the Quilcene Historical Museum at 151 Columbia St., is Fire District 2’s designated landing zone for medical helicopter transport.

Due to construction, QFR’s usual landing site, on U.S. Forest Service property off Rose Street, is unavailable during that time period, said Larry Karp, Jefferson County Fire District 2 (Quilcene/Dabob) chief.

“We needed a spot out of the way, about 150 feet square, without hazards. This parcel fits the bill,” said Karp, “and the museum executive board gave their resounding approval.”

In the past year, there have been approximately eight occasions requiring medical helicopter transport of severely ill or injured patients to area hospitals, including Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, said Karp.

There is generally no advance warning or notification that a medical helicopter will be landing, Karp noted. The first sign of a landing is usually the helicopter circling the landing site. Typically, helicopters turn off their engines while loading, and are gone within 15-20 minutes.

Residents within a quarter-mile of the property have been notified by letter.