helipad

Lumberton Rescue and EMS is the only rescue and EMS agency which maintains its own helipad. Built in 1981, it is located behind the  organizations headquarters at 2391 N. Roberts Avenue. The helipad is used to transfer patients from Southeastern UNC Health to specialty and trauma centers such as UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke Medical Center in Durham, NC. These transfers usually occur six to eight times a week. The helipad is also used for critically injured patients who are transported directly from a scene to an awaiting helicopter. Instead of the helicopter responding to a scene, it is sometimes beneficial to divert the helicopter to the helipad and meet the ambulance. The flight crew stabilizes the patient and prepares the patient for transfer. This saves time, increasing the patient’s chances of survival. LREMS has the primary responsibility of transferring patients from the hospital to the helipad, and is assisted by Robeson County EMS.