MILAM COUNTY, Texas (KRHD) — The Bartlett Volunteer Fire Department has opened a new helicopter landing pad at Station 2 in Davilla to reduce emergency response times for rural Milam County residents.
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The helicopter pad, located at the fire station that has served the community for 10 years, allows PHI Air Medical helicopters from Temple to land directly at the facility rather than finding alternative landing sites during medical emergencies.
"Having a helicopter pad here at this station is a really big thing for the community," said Amanda Angelo, a Davilla resident and president of the Bartlett Volunteer Fire Department.
Fire Chief Steven Wentrcek said the western Milam County area of Davilla is "kind of a little island out here and [a] great community" that benefits significantly from the upgraded emergency infrastructure.
"They can pretty much land themselves on this pad so we can keep attending to the patient," Wentrcek said.
For rural areas of Milam County, long driving times to hospitals can be critical during medical emergencies when every second matters.
"So having a landing pad like this where we can easily roll a stretcher, where we can get the ambulance fairly close to the helicopter, all those things are saving us seconds, and those seconds matter when you have a critical patient," Wentrcek said.
PHI Air Medical out of Temple provides care to Milam and Falls counties, as well as the cities of Bartlett, Holland and McGregor, at no cost to residents thanks to a contractual agreement.
"It's an insurance policy for the citizens of Milam County," Wentrcek said.
Angelo said the helipad has personal significance for her as a local resident.
"This helipad actually has a lot of meaning for me personally because if I have an accident on my farm that's just right down the road, I know I can have quick medical access," Angelo said.
Angelo emphasized the importance of community awareness about the new helipad.
"For the access to the emergency medical services to be here, it really meant a lot to the community to be able to show that we have that access readily available," Angelo said.
As the area continues to grow, officials hope the infrastructure will meet future needs.
"Having infrastructure in to take care of the citizens' medical needs — that's important," Wentrcek said.
The project cost approximately $6,000, with much of the funding donated along with community support to install the pad, lights and concrete.
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