Collier commissioners to vote on purchase of new medical helicopter Tuesday

Collier County commissioners will discuss the purchase of a new medical helicopter Tuesday.

The life-saving aircraft will be able to quickly get patients from Collier County to a trauma center in Lee County.

“You’re thinking how the person is going to turn out and hope they get them there quick enough,” said Collier County resident Tim Harbin.

Harbin says the med flight helicopter is a life-saver. Collier County doesn’t have its own trauma center, so the aircraft is the only ticket to getting patients to one in Lee County or Miami Dade.

“With the traffic and the amount of people that are moving down to Collier County you cannot get any ambulances through the traffic or first responders, so there’s no if ands or buts—we need it,” Harbin said.

Emergency services will ask commissioners for the go-ahead to make the purchase. The  aircraft they currently own is 20 years old.

“I think it’s a great idea to get a new helicopter, especially if the one that we have is outdated and isn’t serving its purpose,” said Collier resident Shonna Sherman.

The helicopter they’re looking at will be able to hold more weight, get patients to the trauma center quicker and be safer for pilots. Plus, helicopter parts will be easier to obtain for a newer model aircraft.

“We have approximately 250 calls per year that the helicopter is called by the ground crews, but with our population increasing, we do expect that to rise,” said Tabatha Butcher with Collier EMS.

If the commissioners approve, it would cost around $7.5 to $10 million. The county has been saving for the purchase for four years, but taxpayers will likely chip in too.

“I believe that every day is a gift, and to be able to get medical help in an emergency is really important,” Sherman said.

It would take nine months before the new helicopter could be put into service. The new model would also be able to assist in search and rescue and firefighting operations if needed.

WINK News reporter Chris Grisby was live Tuesday morning before the discussion. Watch the segment below.