Mercy Flight Central files plan for new base east of Utica

SCHUYLER  —  Air-ambulance service Mercy Flight Central plans to open a new base in the town of Schuyler in an attempt to speed its service to Utica, Rome, and the surrounding areas.

Mercy Flight Central, which is based in Canandaigua and operates another base near Syracuse at Marcellus Airport, will open the Schuyler location at 368 Shorlots Road, it said today. The base is slated to start operations in March.

It will serve an area with a 60-mile radius. That will have it covering the Mohawk Valley stretching east to Albany, small communities north of Binghamton, and territory to the north of Utica and Rome.

“While Mercy Flight Central has always served this region, in the event of an emergency we could be flying more than 50 miles to an accident scene,” Mercy Flight Central President and CEO Neil Snedeker said in a news release. “As a result, too many critically injured patients travel by ambulance to the nearest trauma center. This time delay can negatively impact the golden hour, which is critical for first responders in saving lives.”

About 12 new jobs are set to be added over a year to staff the new Mercy Flight Central base. Positions will include flight nurses, paramedics, and pilots. Mercy Flight Central currently employs about 50 people.

The air-ambulance service is an independent not-for-profit organization. Its services include advanced airway procedures, critical-care medicine, and trauma management.  It operates three helicopters and one turboprop airplane.

Contact Seltzer at rseltzer@cnybj.com