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PHOTOS: New Designated Landing Zone for EMS
Helicopters Established at Sno-Pals Groomer Barn in Barnes Corners
Published: March 15, 2025 at
01:00 p.m.
By: Nick
Altmire
Town of Pinckney,
NY- Local officials were on hand at the Barnes Corners Sno-Pals groomer
barn on the Seven by Nine Road in the Town of Pinckney on Friday to
showcase a new designated landing zone for EMS helicopters for the Tug Hill
region.
A LifeNet helicopter
touched down under sunny skies to highlight the new landing zone.
Jim Hearne,
President of Barnes Corners Sno-Pals, explained that the group was
approached by the Town of Pinckney last fall regarding their desire to find
a more suitable location for emergency helicopters to land when responding
to emergency situations on the Tug Hill. In most cases, helicopters
responding to the area were currently using the parking lot at Tugger’s Bar
& Grill as a landing zone- which could be tricky at times depending on
the volume of congestion at the popular location.
“This area is
quite open here all the way around,” Mr. Hearne said. “It’s a nice, safe
landing zone for people in this area to be evacuated out if there is an
emergency need for a helicopter to come in. This area is pretty much
central to most of the riding, whether you’re
going to the Copenhagen area, the Jefferson County area or going into Lewis
County, it’s a central landing area. It’s a very community thing, this
doesn’t have to be snowmobile-related, it could be a car accident, and as
far as the landing zone- it’s here 365 days a year, 24/7.”
Mr. Hearne said
that the Town of Pinckney will keep the new landing zone plowed out during
the winter months.
Flight Paramedic
Josh Genter (left in photo) and Pilot Erik Newhouse (right in photo), both
with LifeNet, made the flight in for the
designating ceremony.
“This is a much
cleaner landing site,” Mr. Newhouse said. “We can come in from multiple
directions, based on the wind, which we couldn’t do at Tugger’s based on
the wires and obstacles.”
Mr. Newhouse
explained that having a pre-determined designated landing zone is
beneficial from a number of standpoints. It makes
coordination with EMS crews on the ground easier when everyone knows in
advance where the landing zone is. It saves valuable time by not having to
clear vehicles and hazards to accommodate the landing of the emergency
transport, which needs a 100 foot by 100 foot area
cleared for a landing.
“If there is a
problem clearing cars, clearing snowmobiles, getting people out of the way and
we have to circle for an extended period of time, we’re just adding extra time
that’s unnecessary,” Mr. Newhouse said when discussing some of the
challenges at the previous location.
Mr. Genter noted
that the new landing zone will make it easier to focus on patient care
being in a more secluded and private setting. “Having no crowds around us
is nice, so we don’t have to worry about crowd control, leading to more
focused patient care,” he said, estimating that they respond to 20 to 30
incidents per season in the area.
Mike Schenk,
Chief of Staff for State Senator Mark Walczyk, presented the Sno-Pals with
a certificate of appreciation during the event.
“Senator Walczyk
wanted me to come out on his behalf and thank you, Sno-Pals, for making
today a reality that no doubt will go a long way in safeguarding and
protecting the health and well being of Lewis County and surrounding
communities,” Mr. Schenk said while presenting the certificate.
Father Samuel
Lundy, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office Chaplain, and Biff Green, from St.
Mary’s Church in Copenhagen, provided a blessing of the helicopter and
walked the perimeter to bless the ground during the ceremony.
All parties
involved expressed their thanks to Tugger’s for
the use of their location as a landing location over previous years.
The Sno-Pals have
also donated an AED (automated external defibrillator) machine, through the
help of the Virkler Foundation, that will be housed at Tugger’s for the use
of the community. We’ll have a full story on that
coming soon.
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