Official: Wind turbine impact on med flights marginal
Fears about local wind turbines delaying Fond du Lac’s new medical helicopter have been blown out of proportion, a major Wisconsin energy company says.
“It’s kind of a red herring,” said We Energies spokesperson Barry McNulty. “The concern is well overblown.”
The issue arose after Flight for Life sent a letter to area emergency response agencies about working with them to find safe landing zones in areas with wind turbines. The letter indicated the helicopter will not land amid clusters of wind turbines.
Critics of the wind turbines worry that the delays could jeopardize safety.
“A lot of neighbors are upset. We were promised there would be no health or safety issues with the turbines,” said town of Byron resident Curt Kindschuh. “The delayed response time could be the difference between life and death.”
Although the 400-foot turbines can sometimes delay air medical rescues, emergency personnel are trained to cope artfully with such situations, said Claire Rayford, spokesperson for Flight for Life, which recently located an air base in Fond du Lac. Furthermore, helicopter pilots decide when and where to land on a case-by-case basis.
“Turbines are the same as any other obstruction, like radio towers, power lines and buildings,” said Rayford. “There may be some delays, but transporting a patient to a helicopter is a very efficient procedure.”
The pilot decides what is safe and makes a decision based on many different factors at the time of the incident, Rayford said.
Wind turbines in Fond du Lac County have also been vetted and approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, said McNulty.
The Reporter Staff
4 September 2008
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