Mercy Flight's new helipad is just outside ENH's doors

Aug. 15—LOCKPORT — A new Mercy Flight helipad has been established at Eastern Niagara Hospital and it's now in use, the hospital announced on Wednesday.

The new helipad was set up in the southwest parking lot, just off of East Avenue, on the ENH campus. It replaces Mercy Flight's prior designated landing area off Davison Road. Its development was a collaborative effort of the hospital, Mercy Flight and Lockport Fire Department.

Advocates for the new helipad said emergency response times will be enhanced across the region, particularly when patients require rapid transfer for specialized emergency care.

"The solidification of a designated helipad at Eastern Niagara Hospital will provide a great asset to both the hospital and the region it serves in terms of safety and reliability," LFD Fire Chief Luca Quagliano said. "Having the ability to minimize the distance between the ER and the helicopter, and eliminate the need to transport the patient to and from an off-site landing zone, will provide a vast improvement in patient out-of-facility time and overall patient comfort."

Hospital CEO Anne McCaffrey said the new helipad is "an opportunity to better serve our patients and the community. The new helipad's close proximity to our Emergency Department is key to expediting care for those who need it."

Mercy Flight conducted test flights and landings at the hospital, and completed an emergency flight, within the past two weeks, and reported that everything went smoothly for the flight crew.

"The new landing pad is a great asset to the residents of Lockport and Niagara County allowing for the expeditious helicopter transport of critical patients to the major medical centers when minutes matter," Dennis Crandall, Mercy Flight director of flight operations, said.