Pocono News Section

New Life Flight Helicopter in Luzerne Co.

New Life Flight Helicopter in Luzerne Co. - Friday, August 29, 2008 at 5:26PM EST

Reported by: Eyewitness News
Friday, Aug 29, 2008 @ 05:26pm EST
AVOCA, LUZERNE COUNTY- Geisinger Health System gets a new tool to help save lives. It’s a new "life flight helicopter", the EC-145.

It was unveiled Friday at the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport. The helicopter will take critically injured patients to area hospitals. This is the fourth helicopter in Geisinger's fleet.

It can travel up to 370 miles farther than similar helicopters. Geisinger leaders also tell Eyewitness News the chopper has more safety features than others.

Med Flight Director Michael Leicht said, "That's the key, I think, to operating the system. We're so busy up here and just to have the safety features in this helicopter is a huge plus for us."

The total cost for this chopper is $6-million.