Mercy Flight

Looking to literally buy some time while waiting to see if another round of federal stimulus funding transpires, the Genesee County Legislature’s Human Services Committee today tabled a pair of resolutions connected to Mercy Flight and the Genesee County Fair.

After hearing reports from Michael Gugliuzza, director of medical operations for Mercy Flight, and Amanda Gallo of the Genesee County Ag Society that touched upon lower revenues and uncertainty stemming from the COVID-19 Pandemic, respectively, committee members voted to hold off on contracts that specified the amount of the county’s financial support for the two agencies.

The resolution for Mercy Flight funding calls for the county to contribute $12,825 to back air medical transfer service in the county for 2020. That amount is the same as what was provided in 2019.

The resolution for the Ag Society has the county’s sponsorship of 4-H Judging and Premiums during the 2020 Genesee County Fair at $11,000, which also mirrors last year’s support.

County Manager Jay Gsell informed the committee that Mercy EMS did receive money for Personal Protection Equipment and from the first round of federal stimulus because of its combined operations (ground and air service), but that wasn’t enough to make up for a drop-off in activity.

“You heard Mike talking about what the ground service and flight service have been experiencing – about a 40 percent drop in their actual service calls, and that’s really since the beginning of this year,” Gsell said. “They’re moving through it with regard to both the commitment that they have and obviously their significant presence here in the county, both at the County Airport and at Gateway II across Route 98 from the original county industrial park.”

The Genesee County Fair currently is scheduled for July 25-August 1, but those dates aren’t etched in stone due to the coronavirus and its impact upon the local business community.

“Once they have a fair date for certain, (funding is done) on a reimbursement basis – once the judging occurs,” Gsell said. “If they have it and they do the judging, then we make the payment based on the invoices, so we have a little bit of time there.”

Committee Chair Andrew Young, noting the lack of revenue and other factors, asked if this is something “that we can hold off on until we understand what’s going on with our revenue?”

To which Gsell responded: “We’d like to think that between the governor and Mr. (Robert) Mujica (Jr., NYS budget director) that they’ll fairly soon start telling us what they’re going to be doing with the state budget … and then we start looking at what that means to us in terms of general state aid and obviously sales tax – with sales tax being the really big driver.”

Gsell also said he hoped that another federal stimulus bill provides money to fund state and local governments by the end of the month, which would mean “another trillion-plus dollars is put into play across the country.”

Committee members Gregg Torrey and John Deleo along with alternate member Gordon Dibble joined Young in voting to table the resolutions, which likely will be placed on the group’s June 1 meeting agenda.

“We will wade through this,” Young said. “The funding through the next stimulus bill is really the wild card. I don’t know that we have a lot of other good news to look forward to … if it doesn’t happen, we’ll have to deal with it.”

Press release:

On Saturday, Aug. 24^th from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Mercy Flight will host its annual open house at the Mercy EMS Base.

The Mercy Flight Batavia Base, located at 8050 Call Parkway, will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day. We kindly ask you to support this remarkable celebration.

The day will be filled with plenty to enjoy, including a tour of the base, food, refreshments, and activities for the family.

Mercy Flight was founded on the premise of wanting to help more patients during their time of need. Since our inception in 1981, Mercy Flight has grown from one part-time crew to 24/7 air operations in Buffalo, Batavia, and Olean, and ground ambulance operations in Springville, Genesee County, and Niagara County.

Having transported more than 26,000 patients by helicopter and conducting countless ground ambulance missions, Mercy Flight has truly been Western New York’s beacon of hope WHEN MINUTES MATTER.

At Mercy Flight, we pride ourselves on performing our lifesaving services without regard to our patients’ insurance status or their ability to pay. While third-party payers reimburse a portion of each flight’s cost, we rely heavily on the generous support of community contributors like you.

We would greatly appreciate the donation of a product or service to support this essential and well-attended community event. Would you so generously consider donating an item or certificate for our basket auction?

I would be happy to pick up any donations you offer. Please contact me at 585.250.3002 or pcherry@mercyflight.org to arrange.

Pam Cherry, Outreach Coordinator - Batavia, Mercy Flight Inc.

The dedication and ribbon cutting for the new Mercy EMS headquarters on Call Road, off of Route 98, in Batavia, was more than just a celebration of the new facility. It was an expression of gratitude for the Mercy Flight/EMS staff and chance to honor Mercy's cofounder, Doug Baker.

A plaque honoring Baker, pictured above, will be placed on the new building.

For his part, Baker thanked the Genesee County community for entrusting its emergency medical transport services to Mercy EMS and Mercy Flight.

"I'm here to you say thank you for the confidence and courtesy of the acceptance we've had in this community," Baker said. "From the governmental agencies, from the fire and the police, from the hospital, and from the whole community at large. And last but not least certainly the employees. We're very very lucky. Don't think we take it for granted. It's pretty special."

Mercy Flight became Baker's vision in 1981 and he, along with Sister Sheila Marie Walsh, Dr. Matthew Burke, and Dr. James Ehinger, came together to create Mercy Flight that year. It became the first helicopter emergency transport service in New York. The first helicopter based in Batavia was in 2006. In 2006, Mercy EMS became the designated ambulance service for the county.

Since then, the ambulance crew has operated from cramped quarters in the former St. Jerome's Hospital on Bank Street. The new facility not only gives them more space, it will offer better space for training and for eating and resting between calls, especially on long 12- and 24-hour shifts.

Bob Bausch, chairman of the Genesee County Legislature, was among those who congratulated Mercy Flight on its new facility.

"It's a true symbol of your commitment to the residents of Genesee County but more importantly thank you for what you offer day in day out," Bausch said. "You provided an exceptional level of service and this new facility will only enhance those services."

The dedication prayer was offered by Pastor Dan Dart, who noted Mercy EMS came to his aid once and he got to ride in "the whirlybird." He thanked the staff for their dedication to the health and safety of our community.

"Personally, then, on the receiving end, I say, 'Oh wow, I say thank you to all these folks for this building,' " Dart said. "It's going to help facilitate these folks to do the work that they do much more efficiently. It's a great, practical building -- all throughout, just amazing."

Doug Baker

Pastor Dan Dart.

A new, spacious headquarters for Mercy Flight/Mercy EMS will serve as a much-needed home away from home once the ribbon is cut on the new facility off Route 98 in Batavia on May 21.

"I’m looking forward to the crews being able to move into a home," said Bill Schutt, business development manager for Mercy EMS. "That was the whole gist of this thing --  give them a home while they were at work.

"They spend a lot of time here. They spend a lot of shifts here. They spend a lot of time together, probably more so than families. Holiday time when we’re home enjoying our family, they're here still working."

The 12,000-square-foot facility has bays for ambulances in half the space and the other half contains offices, storage, showers, a workout area, a day room, a quiet room, a kitchen suitable for crews to enjoy meals with their families, and a large conference room.

"The space is large enough to house the ambulances, keep them out of the weather and to provide everything the crews need throughout their 12- or 24-hour shifts," said Scott Wooton, VP of finance for Mercy Flight. "If they’re here for a 24-hour shift, they need to be able to prepare food. They need to be able to wash their uniform if they come back from a call where their uniform is soiled.

"They need to be able to rest. They need to be able to sit down and chart stuff. This has been a need right from the start. It’s only that it’s taken nine years for us to put all the pieces together and make it happen."

The $2.5 million facility was largely financed through assistance from M&T Bank and the Genesee County Economic Development Center, which was able to provide tax-exempt financing.

That assistance was critical to making the new building possible, Wooton said.

"We certainly don’t have that much cash on hand so we couldn’t do it without the financing and being able to do it in a tax-exempt way keeps that interest rate more manageable for us and spread it out in a way that the monthly payments are more manageable," Wooton said.

David Ciurzynski, business development manager with Manning Squires Hennig, said one of the key features of the new building is its energy efficiency. The large garage doors that are all glass will allow a lot of natural light into the ambulance bays and all lighting throughout the building is LED. The energy efficiency will help Mercy EMS reduce its operating costs.

The pre-engineered building also helped reduce costs and accelerate construction time.

"We were able to keep the construction period tight so they can get in and get it in use as quickly as possible," Ciurzynski said. A pre-engineered building allows you a lot of flexibility on time because components come quickly but it also gives you a very handsome building they can use for years to come and it’s exapandable."

Press release:

Mercy Flight has teamed up with our trauma community partners to offer Stop the Bleed training in Genesee County. Stop the Bleed is a nationwide movement started in the wake of the active shooter Sandy Hook tragedy.

Since this movement launched, Mercy Flight has jumped on board to train bystanders to be immediate responders to prevent life-threatening bleeding. Bleeding deaths can happen in just minutes, and can easily be prevented. 

Coming up on Saturday, April 7th Mercy Flight is hosting a session with Genesee County Emergency Management to teach how to apply pressure, proper tourniquet use, wound packing and life-threatening bleeding prevention. It will be held at the GCEM office at 7690 State Street Road, Batava.

There are three-time options for the April 7 class: 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Each class is limited to 30 participants. (The 11 a.m. time slot is nearly full already.)

The one-hour course is jam-packed with valuable information for any member of the public, including teachers, coaches, parents.

To sign up for the class, visit Mercy Flight's website here.

Photo courtesy of Sam Kuminecz.

Press release:

It is with great enthusiasm that Mercy Flight Inc., which provides service in Genesee County, announces a major EMS helicopter acquisition: three new 2017 Bell 429 helicopters.

This significant fleet upgrade will help sustain Mercy Flight’s commitment to bringing expert and unparalleled medical care with rapid response for many years to come.

In late October, Mercy Flight signed a Purchase Agreement and placed a deposit with Bell Helicopter for the new helicopters. This opportunity was made possible through a combined $23 million long-term lending effort from the USDA Rural Development Department and M&T Bank. These joint 20-year loans from the USDA and M&T Bank create an affordable option that will allow Mercy Flight to replace its four aging 1980s model BK-117 helicopters.

The helicopters are slated to be completed and delivered ready for EMS operations in the late Spring of 2018.

“These Bell 429s will represent a significant step in our goal to remain Western New York’s independent, nonprofit provider of emergency air medical services for many years to come,” said Mercy Flight’s Founding President and CEO Douglas Baker.

“Our current BK-117 helicopters have been pillars of our operation for a number of years, but this creative financing opportunity provided to us by the USDA’s Rural Development team and M&T Bank will allow us to retire these aging aircraft and replace them with more reliable, modern equipment.”

“USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities program is designed to assist nonprofit organizations just like Mercy Flight – with equipment like this,” said USDA Rural Development Loan Technician Sandra Snyder. “This funding builds on the USDA’s continued investment and commitment in rural communities throughout New York.

"While the added features, expanded service range, increased speed and state of the art capabilities of these new and dependable airframes are impressive, we at Rural Development in NY also believe the pilots, emergency technicians, dispatchers and ground teams are equally impressive.”

In 2010, Mercy Flight similarly collaborated with the USDA and M&T Bank for joint loans for the organization’s first Bell 429 helicopter. This aircraft has since proven its merit, as has Bell Helicopter’s customer service. Mercy Flight is looking forward to performing its lifesaving, nonprofit mission while flying exclusively Bell 429 helicopters.

“Mercy Flight’s decision to upgrade their existing fleet to all Bell 429’s reflects both the tremendous capabilities of the aircraft and the unrivaled support Bell Helicopter is known for,” said Ron Orndoff, Bell Helicopter Regional Sales Manager. “Their fleet of four aircraft will bring the total to 21 Bell 429’s operating in the Northeast U.S., representing every mission segment.”

Mercy Flight serves the Western New York Community and beyond with its fleet of five helicopters, twenty ambulances, six paramedic fly cars, and exclusive use of a dedicated Learjet to transport patients in need nationwide. Since 1981, Mercy Flight has safely completed more than 27,000 patient missions, including scene emergencies and inter-hospital transfers.

ABOUT MERCY FLIGHT

Mercy Flight Inc., d/b/a Mercy Flight of Western New York and Mercy EMS, is an independent nonprofit provider of medical transport services. It began in 1981 as the first medically-dedicated air ambulance service in New York State. Today, the charitable organization operates four helicopter bases staffed by pilots, flight paramedics and flight nurses in Buffalo (headquarters), Olean, Springville and Batavia.

Long distance air transports are conducted using a Learjet 31 and the same critical care medical teams that staff the helicopters. Flight physicians also join the team as needed based on the condition of the patient.

Mercy Flight’s ground ambulance division, Mercy EMS, provides service for Genesee County, Niagara County, and the Town of Concord and Village of Springville.

Together, the organization’s employees, now over 200 strong, support the mission of providing unparalleled, critical emergency care, in the air and on the ground, “WHEN MINUTES MATTER."

Mercy Flight/EMS broke ground Friday on its new 11,500-square-foot facility off Route 98, just north of the Thruway, in the Town of Batavia.

The facility will become the new staging area headquarters in Genesee County for the ambulance service.

It's a $2 million investment by Mercy Flight and is located on 2.2 acres in the Gateway II project on Call Parkway.

Photo submitted by Mercy Flight.

Press release:

Hackers for Helicopters, a fundraiser for Mercy Flight Inc., will be held on Monday, June 5 at Batavia Country Club, located at 7909 Batavia-Byron Road in Batavia.

Cost is $100 per golfer and includes:

-- 18 holes of golf with cart

-- Lunch and beverages

-- Dinner and a one-hour open bar

-- Commemorative gifts

-- Door prizes and more

Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. and the shotgun start is 11:45 a.m.

Cocktail hour begins at 5 p.m., followed by dinner and awards.

Mercy Flight Inc. is an independent, nonprofit 501 (c)(3) charitable organization that provides air and ground medical transportation for those in need.

For sponsorship information, please call (716) 626-5808 or visit www.mercyflight.org

It was another busy year in Genesee County in 2016 for Mercy Flight, Bill Schutt, director of Mercy EMS locally, told members of the County Legislature at its Human Services Committee meeting on Monday.

The ambulance service received about 8,600 calls, which resulted in about 6,700 transports.

Mercy Flight itself received 189 requests and flew a total of 96 transport missions.

Those 189 requests not only included the time an airship went to a medical emergency scene, but all the times it was put on ground standby or in-air standby or was requested to do so, but couldn't fly because of weather.

Schutt explained that dispatchers operate off a set of protocols for determining whether to alert Mercy Flight to a possible emergency call for the helicopter and sometimes what dispatchers are being told from people at the scene sounds more serious than it might actually be. When a fire chief or medic arrives on scene, the situation can be clarified.

"You don't want to wait for a crew to get there to make an assessment because now you're there waiting for a helicopter," Schutt said.

With Mercy Flight handling all the calls they do, it isn't unusual to periodically get in a situation where all the ambulances are on calls or there is no ambulance close by a particular emergency. That's what makes the volunteer ambulances around the county so valuable.

"As a commercial ambulance, you would think you would want those volunteers to go away, but we need those volunteers," Schutt said. "We need those resources. There are always going to be the days where no matter how many ambulances you have in service, they are not going to be enough."

The Human Services Committee unanimously recommended approval of the Mercy Flight/Mercy EMS contract for the county, along with the continuation of the $12,800 contribution the county makes to help support the nonprofit service.

County Manager Jay Gsell explained that eight counties contribute to Mercy Flight's funding, but as the host county for the main ambulance services office and a host county for one of the agency's helicopters, it was important for Genesee County to provide financial assistance.

"This is part of our commitment, but it also aligns us with this vital service," Gsell said.

Mercy EMS is finding its current ambulance staging area at St. Jerome's on Bank Street a little cramped and not conducive to keeping ambulances ready to roll in all kinds of weather, so it's planning a new 11,500 square foot facility off Route 98, just north of the Thruway, in the Town of Batavia.

The new facility will cost about $2 million and the site plan was reviewed and recommended for approval last night by the County Planning Board.

"There’s no space," said Mercy EMS General Manager Bill Schutt of the current location. "We’re in essentially four old hospital rooms there. There’s very limited parking space, obviously, if you’ve been there. In winter times, it’s especially difficult. Ambulances have fluids in them, medications that need to be kept warm, so you’re trying to run heaters inside them to warm them while parked outside. We don’t have any space there to hold meetings, do training, any additional private spaces, very limited crew space."

The new facility will have eight interior parking bays and additional spaces with electrical hook-ups for ambulances to park outside in emergency overflow situations.

The location, 2.2 acres being split out from an 8.6 parcel, is part of the Gateway II project on Call Parkway, just off of Oak Orchard Road.

Schutt said the new location will have no effect on response times.

There will also be expanded crew space, a meeting and training room.

The new location will also include a purchasing department that will house regional purchasing for Mercy Flight.

Also on Thursday's agenda:

• The board recommended approval of two new commercial buildings on a parcel just north of Home Depot, abutting the Thruway, at 4181 Veterans Memorial Drive. The buildings will be a 12,600 square foot facility that will house medical offices and a 7,500 square foot building that will contain three spaces. Two will be restaurant spaces. The $1.2 million project is being undertaken by Holland Trotta out of Rochester.  A spokesman for the developer told planners that the large space was originally intended for a well-known local restaurant, but those plans changed. The signage on the architectural drawings in the planning board packet for the smaller building show an urgent care business and a Mexican chain restaurant, Qdoba Mexican Eats.
• The board recommended approval of a conditional use permit for 17.4-acre, 2-megawatt solar farm at 2901 Pearl Street Road, Batavia. 
• The board recommended approval of a nine-month moratorium on the planning and construction of solar farms in Stafford, giving officials time to review policies and zoning plans for such facilities.
• The board recommended approval of a site plan review for a new 29,456 square foot paddock at Batavia Downs to be constructed on the east side of the race track. The previous paddock was removed to make room for construction of the new hotel. Currently, stables, are being used for paddock space. Paddocks are where horses and drivers are prepared for each race and return to after the race for washing and testing (winning horses are tested for banned substances, as required by the gaming commission). 

Press release:

This year is a special year for Mercy Flight WNY as we are celebrating our 35th year of operation.

Batavia Mercy Flight & Mercy EMS will be having our annual summer open house Satruday, June 18th, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Batavia Home Depot, located at 4181 Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia.

We are planning to have Mercy Flight land at noon for tours as well has have some ambulances from the Mercy EMS fleet on display and tours, too.

During the event we will have various family activities and an ongoing 50/50 and Chinese Auction during the event. 

Their will be various police, and fire departments doing demos and speaking with the community and showing off their vehicles, too. The City of Batavia will also have its Child Safety Seat technicians out to check car seats. If possible, bring both the child and the car seat with you, so they know its properly installed and fits the child using the car seat.

If you have any questions or wish to make a donation for the Chinese auction table, please contact Base Coordinator Lynn O'Donnell at 716-864-5060 or lodonnell@mercyflight.org and she will be happy to assist you.

Mercy Flight Air Ambulance enjoyed another successful year of aiding people in Genesee County, according to a presentation Monday afternoon before the Human Service Committee.

Highlights of Mercy Flight for fiscal 2014-15 include:

• A total of 179 requests for Air Ambulance (helicopter) from Genesee County; 91 transports completed;
• Total Mercy Flight transports for 2015 were 1,100;

For Mercy EMS, in operation for six years now:

• 7,377 requests for services; 4,824 transports completed;
• In the City of Batavia, there were almost 3,000 calls for Mercy EMS in 2014; that number grew to 3,500 in 2015.

Call Types (55 percent were on scene; 45 percent were inter-facility transfers)

• Adult Trauma -- 38 percent
• Adult Medical -- 37 percent
• Adult Cardiac -- 13 percent
• Pediatric Medical -- 7 percent
• Pediatric Trauma -- 4 percent
• Neonatal -- 2 percent

Destination Hospitals:

• Erie County Medical Center -- 33 percent
• Buffalo General -- 23 percent
• Strong Memorial -- 15 percent
• Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo -- 12 percent
• Mercy Hospital -- 6 percent
• Other NY Hospitals -- 5 percent
• Hamot Medical Center -- 3 percent
• Other Pennsylvania and Ohio Hospitals -- 3 percent

Funding goes to:

• Operations/Programs -- 93 percent
• Development & Fundraising -- 7 percent
• Misc. -- .5 percent

O'Donnell reported that Mercy Flight continues to upgrade its aircraft. Its Bell 429, the company flagship based in Batavia, recently completed its fourth year of service. Four American Eurocopters have all been refurbished, updated and painted to match the Bell. A Lear 31 twin engine jet is also housed at the Batavia base, in partnership with Thunder Run Aviation. The jet provides advanced life support transports beyond what can be provided by the helicopters.

Due to the new partnership between UMMC and Rochester General Hospital, more transports are being logged to Rochester General.

A good deal of time is spent promoting the agency and working with fire/EMS crews and community organizations, O'Donnell said. For example, Mercy Flight offers first responder ground crew safety training that teaches when and how to request Mercy Flight along with the safety requirements for preparing for a safe landing. There were six trainings in Genesee County in the 2014-15 fiscal year, and 84 first responders attended, a total that is "significantly up" from the previous year.

Another community involvement opportunity that Mercy Flight engages in is prom safety/DWI drills and local high schools. These help students make good decisions, reducing DWI-related accidents. Two were held in 2014-15 -- at Elba and at Byron-Bergen. Funding from the Governor's Traffic Safety Grant makes these possible and they will be offered again this year.

Strong partnerships continue with fire/EMS, law enforcement and UMMC, as well as the Chamber of Commerce.

For Mercy Flight, base tours and participation in community events such as the Genesee County Fair, YWCA Penny Carnival, UMMC Teddy Bear Clinic, Pembroke Winterfest, Summer in the City, Brick House Corners Fair and the Oakfield Christmas tree decorating help educate the public and help with fundraising, according to the report. Fundraisers such as the annual Hackers for Helicopters Golf Outing and dinner events at Batavia Downs Gaming and Batavia Country Club are important for these reasons, too.

For Mercy EMS, the ambulance fleet continues to be upgraded, including "graphic schemes that match the helicopters." Three new ambulances will be replacing three old ones. Also, two bases of operations are in place to improve response times for more remote location calls -- one in South Byron, the other in East Pembroke.

Taking part in the UMMC Teddy Bear Clinic and Mash Camps allow preschoolers and pre-teens to learn about EMS. Parades and EMS standbys for community events also provide outreach opportunities, as does allowing local EMT students and UMMC residents-in-training the chance to shadow EMS providers for real-life experience.

Committee Vice Chair Marianne Clattenburg, who represents District 8, asked if recruitment of EMS personnel is difficult.

"Absolutely, this is a nationwide problem," Baumgardt responded.

After a person is already a certified EMT, there's an additional two-year training period required to become a paramedic. That's is a daunting commitment for some and the pay rate in a small market like Genesee County compared to bigger markets does not help any.

"You've served Genesee County for 35 years and we're extremely happy and thankful for that extra level of protection," Committee Chair Rochelle Stein (District 5) said about Mercy Flight.

An adult male fell 12 feet and is unresponsive at 8343 Gully Road, Stein Farms, in Le Roy. Mercy Flight is called to the scene. Le Roy fire will set up the landing zone and Caledonia ambulance is dispatched for mutual aid to handle the medical call.

UPDATE 10:34 a.m.: Mercy Flight #5 has a five-minute ETA. The landing zone is north of the farm in a cornfield with cornstalk stubble.

Vinyl Sticks in Batavia finished a project for Mercy Flight today involving a retired helicopter that the Buffalo-based medical emergency organization wants to display at events and at its headquarters.

A BOCES class in Erie County restored and painted the exterior of the craft and then it was trucked to Batavia for Vinyl Sticks to apply the ship's decals.

Adam Lowder handled the project.

Mercy Flight & Mercy Emergency Medical Services held their annual open house Saturday afternoon at Home Depot in Batavia to showcase services they provide to the community.

Fire departments and law enforcement agencies in the county participated, too.

Children enjoyed getting a close-up look at fire trucks, ambulances and Mercy Flight's helicopter. The City of Batavia Fire Department offered child safety checks. Batavia police did a demonstration on bike safety and state troopers did a rollover-accident simulation.

“The open house is basically for kids to see the backside of EMS, so if an ambulance or helicopter comes they are not afraid," Lynn O'Donnell, Mercy Flight & Mercy EMS outreach coordinator. "Kids get to meet the crew members so they know we are all a part of the community and here to help out."

In addition to the tours, they had a Chinese auction and sold merchandise and food to help raise money for Mercy Flight's mission sponsor program, which assists people who cannot afford to pay medical transportation bills.

Press release:

Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) today announced $103,637 in federal funding for Mercy EMS in Batavia. The grant was allocated through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG), which is designed to help first responders improve their capability to respond to fires and emergencies of all types.

“Providing the necessary funding for our first responders is an excellent and prudent use of federal money,” Congressman Collins said. “Our local heroes need the proper resources to do their jobs and protect our communities. Many small fire companies and emergency medical service providers are unable to purchase necessary equipment upgrades due to financial limitations. This funding will help create more efficient and effective first responders, and I am proud I was able to help Mercy EMS secure this money.”

“Mercy EMS is extremely pleased to be awarded a grant through the FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program,” said Bill Schutt, general manager for Mercy EMS. “The grant will allow Mercy EMS to equip all our first-line ambulances with power-lift stretchers and tracked stair-chairs. These two devices will have multiple impacts on our operations. The power stretcher allows a crew to lift a patient with the touch of a button, eliminating manual lifting and the associated risk of injury to crews. Likewise the tracked stair-chair allows a patient to be moved down a flight of stairs with no lifting involved, again reducing the risk of injuries from lifting. The additional impact of the equipment involves increased patient safety and when dealing with larger patients the ability to move them with an increased level of dignity. As a nonprofit agency Mercy EMS could not afford these upgrades without grant assistance.”

Mercy Flight WNY will host "An Irish Evening" from 5:30-9:30 p.m. on Saturday March 14 at Terry Hills Golf Course Banquet Facility, located at 5122 Clinton Street Road in Batavia. This is a fund-raising event to include an Irish-themed dinner, open and cash bar, 50/50s, Chinese and silent auctions, door prizes and entertainment.

There will be an Irish sit-down dinner, and free wine and beer at the bar from 5:30-6:30. Menu is corned beef and cabbage, soup, salad and dessert. (Alternate dinners for special diets available if requested prior to March 1st.)

Tickets for the event are $35 per person -- pre-purchase only -- and can be bought online at www.mercyflight.org or by contacting Lynn O’Donnell at 716-864-5060 or lodonnell@mercyflight.org

Event organizers are currently looking for basket or silent auction donations as well as event sponsors. If you wish to help, please contact O'Donnell for further information or for pick up of the items you wish to donate.

Mercy Flight WNY is a local, independent, not-for-profit provider of emergency air medical transport. Established in 1981, Mercy Flight WNY has flown more than 23,000 patient missions. Mercy Flight WNY serves the counties of Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania out of bases in Buffalo, Batavia and Olean ready to respond 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Mercy Flight WNY performs this lifesaving service without regard to the patient’s insurance status or ability to pay. In the last fiscal year, Mercy Flight WNY forgave over $1.5 million in care provided to uninsured or underinsured patients. Please help us to remain a "Beacon of Hope" -- when minutes matter for our community by contributing to this fund-raising event.

Members of the Buffalo Niagara Association of Realtors visited the Mercy Flight hangar at the Genesee County Airport today to present $10,000 in donations raised through golf a tournament sponsored by the association. Mercy Flight WNY and Mercy Flight Central each received $5,000.

Representing the realtors were John Leonardi, Christy Rothschild, Joe Rivelino, Sharon Ciminelli, Dorreen Fahey, Debbie Norman, Rebecca VanDorn, Diana Carney and Lynn Gleason. On hand from Mercy Flight were Lynn O'Donnell, Andy Gill, Jason Miles, Ross Feinmann, Samantha Ryan, Jeff Bartkowski and Taryn White (listed not by picture order).