On the day before a legislative showdown on Air-1, Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin Walsh is planning a last ditch effort to keep the helicopter off the auction block.
Walsh has scheduled a news conference for Monday afternoon to discuss the future of Air-1 and update efforts to raise private donations to keep it flying. The Sheriff will be accompanied by Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler, Baldwinsville Police Chief Michael Lefancheck, Deputy County Fire Coordinator Chet Fritz, Syracuse Fire Chief Mark McLees and WAVES Ambulance Director Al Kalfass.
The Onondaga County Legislature is slated to vote Tuesday whether to declare Air-1 "surplus property" and put it up for auction. Earlier this year, County Executive Joannie Mahoney and the County Legislature have stripped funding for the helicopter which has an annual operating budget of about $600 thousand. Some lawmakers feel the chopper is a luxury that taxpayers can no longer afford.
Walsh says the helicopter is a necessary tool for crime fighting, fire and rescue as well as providing medical transports to local hospitals. In addition to establishing the Air-1 Foundation to raise private donations, the Sheriff's has applied to the Federal Aviation Administration for a certification that would allow the Sheriff's Department to bill insurance companies for the cost of medical transports.
In an interview with CNY Central's Jim Kenyon last week, Walsh said the effort to sell off the helicopter has hurt their efforts to find other ways to pay for its operating costs.
