EXECUTIVES from the Bahamas Aviation, Climate & Severe Weather Network (BACSWN) group of companies visited Long Island over the weekend, where they met health officials and residents and inspected facilities at Stella Maris and Deadman’s Cay airports.

The tour followed earlier town-hall meetings on Cat Island and virtual sessions with residents of Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins and Long Cay.

The company’s leadership say they plan to establish aviation trauma centres, air-ambulance bases, and helicopter emergency medical services across The Bahamas as part of a sweeping new aviation emergency-response project now being rolled out in phases.

Lyrone Burrows, an executive of the BACSWN group of companies, said the initiative stems from the group’s Heads of Agreement with the government, which authorises it to provide aviation meteorology services and live flight tracking in Bahamian airspace. Those functions, he said, will serve as the foundation for a parallel emergency-response system geared toward both international aviators and local communities.

Mr Burrows told residents that the group intends to create aviation trauma centres at or near every international airport in the country, supported by ambulances, trained medical staff and dedicated air-evacuation hubs. Four locations in the southern, central and northern Bahamas have been identified to host the new bases for medical evacuation flights.

He said the goal is to cut emergency-response times to as little as 30 to 40 minutes by positioning aircraft and personnel closer to where aviation incidents are most likely to occur. “This will substantially improve access to life-saving intervention,” Mr Burrows said, adding that all work will be carried out in coordination with the relevant government ministries, agencies and authorities.

Response Plus Medical (RPM), a global aviation emergency-services provider based in Abu Dhabi, has been selected as BACSWN’s partner on the project. RPM project lead Venu Raman said the company plans to deploy up to 50 aviation-based ambulances, more than 200 medical professionals, and a helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) network once operations begin.

He said RPM will also establish training centres in The Bahamas to prepare Bahamians for the new roles the project will create. “We’ve already launched an advertising campaign to recruit as much local talent as possible,” Mr Raman said.

On Long Island, the visiting team met with Health Administrator Anya Forbes and toured the Simms Community Clinic with Head Nurse Stubbs. They also visited both airports, where Bahamas Airports Authority executive Euley Glinton voiced support for the plan, saying improved medical and firefighting capacity would benefit both aviation users and the wider community.

Public meetings were held in Clarence Town and at North Long Island High School under the auspices of Island Administrator Jandilee Archer, who delivered opening remarks.

Mr Burrows urged residents to prepare to take advantage of economic opportunities tied to the rollout — from new jobs and real-estate rentals to other support services — once implementation begins.

BACSWN officials did not give a firm start date for construction or deployment but said the new emergency-response network will be introduced in stages over the coming months, with government oversight and regulatory collaboration at each step.