Helicopter Landing Pad in Killian Complete, Officials Gather at Ribbon Cutting Hosted by Chamber
[Killian, LA] On Tuesday, June 28, 2016, Mayor Craig McGehee cut the ribbon on an important project for the area, a new Helipad in Killian. The concept for building a helipad in Killian was ignited by the area’s increase in water traffic and activities during the summer months and emergency response times. Mayor McGehee stated to the standing room only crowd in the Killian Town Hall, “The population of Killian is four times larger during the water recreation season. People are spending time at their camps plus the swell of river traffic with those enjoying the waterways makes for a great time. Unfortunately, the increased traffic also means increased accidents. The helipad will provide critical reduction in time for response.”
The helipad was purposely built with the added size to allow for larger helicopters to land, including a Black Hawk Chopper. “We were offered the needed base materials that would allow for a 40 x 40 landing pad. The decision was made to make the Helipad much larger to accommodate for a diverse need in the area. Killian has been a staging site during disasters in the area, and we did not want to be limited in the service we provide to those who need help most.”
The ribbon cutting event was hosted by the Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce and attended by those who assisted in the efforts to complete the project, participants of the Leadership Livingston team, of which Mayor McGehee is a part, dignitaries and officials from the Killian Police Department and Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. A helicopter, flown by Captain Erwin from the Sheriff’s Office, was on site to commemorate the event. He added comments acknowledging the need for the project and recalled a recent experience demonstrating the need. “The Helipad provides a much needed vital service to the area. Having the proper lighting for night landing allows teams to quickly get to those in distress, as identified in recent events.”
The helipad has also been used for recent flooding in the area by the Sheriff’s Office. Acadian Ambulance has used the helipad several times for medical emergencies and applauds the efforts as well. Parish President Layton Ricks and State Representative Clay Schexnayder offered words of praise on the project. Justin Cox from Acadian Ambulance praised the full community efforts. The chamber agreed and April Wehrs of the chamber responded, “The community effort and ability to complete a project with the support and efforts of the business community, elected officials and town officials, plus the community rallying around the cause cannot be understated in this project. The chamber continually advocates for these types of grass roots efforts and the collaboration to get the job done. This project is a prime example of those efforts”
Joining in the Ceremony: Mayor McGehee, Killian Police Chief and the Killian Police Department, Killian officials, Acadian Ambulance, State Representative Clay Schexnayder, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Parish President Layton Ricks, Livingston Parish Tourism, Helipad Volunteers, Chamber Members, and Leadership Livingston Alumni.
Town of Killian Mayor McGehee proudly cuts the ribbon on the new helicopter landing pad alongside Killian Police Chief and the Killian Police Department, Killian officials, Acadian Ambulance, State Representative Clay Schexnayder, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Parish President Layton Ricks, Livingston Parish Tourism, Helipad Volunteers, Livingston Parish Chamber, and Leadership Livingston team.
