MARYLAND: State police helicopter hangar moves to Easton

Citing an increase in safety, officials at the Maryland State Police on Thursday announced that the helicopter based in Centreville will be moving to a hangar at the Easton Airport.

[Medevac supporter]

This move sounds like the right thing to do for safety reasons and the increased flight times for responding to the Upper Shore areas, like Cecil County and Kent County, are not too bad.

This shows that the system is working. It is also important that the State Police consulted with the firemen's association and medical experts.

This is why the MEDEVAC system must remain under State Police and MIEMS control-- not privatized and turned over to profit-making businesses.- Privatization, and dismantling the state-run MEDEVAC program, was what Del. Mike Smigiel, R-Upper Shore, tried to do earlier this year in Annapolis. But his bill was killed after the EMS community rose up in opposition.

We will also rise up in opposition to Smigiel at election time!

[Trooper wife]

You got that right, Medevac supporter! Many law enforcement community people and their families are totally behind our State Police officers and the nurses and EMS people who put their lives on the line every day to help the citizens and people in need.

We will stand up, and speak out, against this sleazy politician, Mike Smigiel, every chance we get. How dare he attack our State Police and EMS people when all he really wants to do is privatize our public emergency services and put money into the pockets of private profit-making business. Oh, and how many donations did the politician get from these businessmen???

[medics]

Just hear that Del. Smigiel is getting ready to try again in the 2010 legislature to attack our MEDEVAC system as now operated by the State Police! We will NOT allow this politician to harm the citizens and the world class Maryland MEDEVAC system as now operated by the State Police and the doctors and medical experts at the University of Maryland hospital. Who does Smigiel think he is? He is a politician, not a doctor or a professional EMS responder!