The Ranch completes Air Evac helipad

The Ranch at Possum Kingdom became the third home development community on the east side of the lake to complete a helipad for Air Evacs to land in case of medical emergencies.

Mike Patterson, The Ranch board president, said the home development has had a helipad in the community since 1998 but it was very small, not up to code and unlikely to have been used had it been needed.

“What we hope is that it’s never needed but, if it is ever needed a few minutes on certain kind of situations can mean life and death,” Patterson said. “When you combine all the risks we have out there like rattlesnakes, boating accidents or horse accidents. We just don’t want to look back and say ‘we sure wish we would have has a better way to get emergency help in here.”

The board president and Patty Reding, the Ranch manager, said the homeowners at the ranch owners association foot the bill for the helipad but the community just got the basic bare bones necessities. He said the board is still waiting on a plaque to put on the helipad which displays the coordinates of the landing spot.

Patterson said the board has had a new Heli pad on its wish list for almost a year and brought in the›Scott Parrish with the Possum Kingdom East Volunteer Fire Department.

Parrish said the department noticed the need for the helipads across the east side of the lake when Palo Pinto Emergency District brought in independent contractors two years ago.

“While the new EMS contractors are fully licensed by the state, and employ top tier professional EMS crews, Rural EMS is very different from EMS in suburban areas,” Parrish said in an emails. “Primarily the most significant and challenging aspect has everything to do with geography. In rural areas, GPS is very often unreliable and incorrect when it comes to standard home property addresses issued by the county.”

Parrish said often times emergency helicopters found themselves having to land on freeways, dirt roads and many other dangerous situations. He said the department identified Gaines Bend, Sportsman’s World, The Ranch, The Cliffs Resort and The Hills above PK as five home developments communities which needed helipads.

The Ranch joined Sportsman’s World and Gaines Bend in completing their helipad earlier this year. Parrish said the helipad at Sportsman’s World was utilized in the first weekend it was completed after two residents were injured in a golf cart and ATV collision.

The Volunteer Fire Department member said they hope to work with The Cliffs Resort and The Hills above PK to have their helipads completed by 2020.