Jamestown, New York (WNY News Now) A life was spared during last week’s severe winter storm thanks to the cooperation of first responders, the New York State Police, and the Chautauqua County Airports Maintenance Team.
Their cooperation made sure a 64-year-old woman traveling to Cleveland Clinic for a heart transplant arrived on time on November 29, 2024, despite hazardous circumstances.
The woman became stuck on State Route 5 in Portland while traveling with her spouse from Rochester, New York. As the driving conditions deteriorated, the situation became urgent due to her battery-powered heart pump. After receiving a call from a Cleveland Clinic nurse, the New York State Police promptly sent out resources.
Using a Utility Task Vehicle, troopers found the couple and took the patient to the Portland Fire Department, where they were sent to Westfield Memorial Hospital. They then made it easier for her to go to Chautauqua County Jamestown Airport (JHW), where the county’s maintenance crew had made sure the runway was safe and usable in spite of the storm. Centric Aviation supplemented their efforts by providing vital ground support services that allowed TPX Aircraft Solutions Inc. to transport the patient to Cleveland Clinic, where she underwent the life-saving heart transplant, quickly and smoothly.
This remarkable reaction emphasizes how crucial planning and teamwork are in our community. Everyone was instrumental in making this woman’s heart transplant possible, from the State Police’s prompt response to our airport’s maintenance crew’s commitment, Chautauqua County Executive Paul M. Wendel Jr. stated. Maintaining our airports involves more than simply handling business and general aviation traffic; it also entails being ready for life-saving situations like this one.
The Manager of Airports for Chautauqua County commended her team’s efforts and underlined the significance of preserving operational readiness, highlighting the vital role that local airports play in emergency situations.
Despite extreme weather, our crew works year-round to maintain the Jamestown (JHW) and Dunkirk (DKK) Airports open. According to Shannon A. Fischer, Manager of Airports for Chautauqua, this incident emphasizes yet another reason why investment in our airports is essential—not only for travel for business or pleasure, but also for crises that call for quick transit. Being a part of this life-saving endeavor makes us proud.
Travel was hampered and first responders in Western New York faced difficulties during the incident, which took place during a snow storm that lasted from Thanksgiving to December 1.