New Thermal Cameras Help Mercy Flight Reach White Sulphur Springs

Your gifts can take flight. Supporting Mercy Flight through Benefis Foundation provides equipment and training for safer rides for patients and flight teams.

For Rosie Rosalez, a flight paramedic with Benefis Mercy Flight, trying to figure out what the weather was like in White Sulphur Springs sometimes meant calling a friend and asking him to drive to the runway and check conditions.

“I’ve even had him test breaking action with his pickup on the runway,” Rosie said.

Now thanks to donors to Benefis Foundation’s Mercy Flight fund and drivers who opt for a Mercy Flight license plate, Mercy Flight has installed cameras at the rural runway for a live look at conditions and a thermal view to evaluate ice, wind, and extreme heat.

Mercy Flight travels to White Sulphur Springs 15-20 times a year, and flight nurse Anna Pradere said she hopes knowing conditions will provide more opportunities to accept flights.

Donors also made it possible to add cameras to runways in Browning and Harlem in 2023. In the seven months since installation, the camera has permitted eight flights to Browning that otherwise would have been flights to Cut Bank meeting ambulances from Browning. Being able to fly direct save crucial time and keeps people off questionable roads, said Scott Schandelson, manager of Benefis Mercy Flight.

“That saves people’s lives,” he said.

The feed from the camera is hosted by the FAA and available for anyone to view. It’s a rare public/private partnership to install the cameras using Mercy Flight’s contribution and state aviation dollars. Pilots even have access on their phones while in the air.

“We are lucky to have a Foundation that will support it,” Scott said. “The pilots knew we have a Foundation willing to help and said, ‘Let’s make this happen.’”