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LAYTON — Just behind Davis Hospital on Friday, staffers from University Medical Center, AirMed and Davis Hospital cut a large red ribbon in front of a cement helicopter pad.
"It just puts us in the middle of the heart of Davis County so we can respond to the scene a lot quicker," AirMed pilot Doug Alberts said.
One helicopter will now be based out of Layton around the clock to help with emergencies in the northern part of Utah and just across the borders in surrounding states.
"It changes the dynamics of how we provide EMS (Emergency Medical Services) in this county," said Davis County Sheriff Todd Richardson. "We have over 315,000 people that we service, and having a helicopter now in our backyard is fantastic."
Alberts said it takes roughly 14 minutes to get from Salt Lake City to Layton by helicopter. That's time that can be eliminated now in future responses.
"In this industry, time is sensitive," Alberts said. "You're on the side of the road, you get in a car accident or have that heart attack or stroke, we can beat traffic. We can beat construction delays and everything."
Leslie Hoxsie, a former patient at University Medical Center, said an AirMed helicopter made a major difference in helping her make a full recovery from a stroke.
"It was the most important factor," Hoxsie said, as she described how well paramedics treated her. "It was so splendid that I want to recommend it to everybody, but I don't want to recommend a stroke."
