A new helipad is being constructed at Jones Beach, giving emergency crews a dedicated place to airlift patients from one of the busiest stretches of the shoreline. The project is taking shape just steps from the Jones Beach Central Mall, where a grassy area is being turned into a landing site for emergency transport by air. For a destination that draws large crowds in the warm months, the addition is aimed squarely at saving time when every minute counts.
The reasoning behind the build comes down to distance and access. Officials note that it is simply too far to reach a hospital by road from this part of the beach, which is why helicopter service is needed. By creating a landing site right at the Central Mall, responders would be able to get a seriously ill or injured person into the air and on the way to definitive care far faster than the current options allow.
For years, the Central Mall, one of the busiest parts of the beach, has gone without a helipad of its own. Other areas of Jones Beach State Park do have helicopter landing options, but the central and most heavily used section has been left without that capability. That gap has meant that emergencies at the very place where the most people gather have been the hardest to respond to from the air.
State Parks Regional Director George Gorman explained how those situations have been handled until now. In the past, when there were emergencies at the Central Mall, patients were basically transported by ambulance, while in some cases helicopters landed right on the sand of the beach. Putting a helicopter down on an open, crowded beach, he indicated, was far from ideal, both for the patient and for the people around.
The absence of a proper landing zone at the Central Mall is not new. According to officials, there has not been a helicopter landing area at that location for a decade. When there was one in the past, it was tucked into a corner of the parking lot, an arrangement that has long since disappeared, leaving the busy hub without a reliable spot for air evacuations during medical crises.
The need is rooted in the kinds of emergencies the area has seen over the years. Officials pointed to submersions, heart attacks and other serious medical issues that have occurred at the Central Mall, the sort of cases where rapid transport to a hospital can make the difference. Those recurring incidents have underscored why a dedicated helipad close to the action has become a priority for the park.
As for how often the new site would be put to use, officials estimate it could be needed up to a dozen times a year, a figure they suggested would be worthwhile even if it were used only once. Gorman also addressed the question of who would be allowed to land there, noting that no VIPs have ever requested to use the spot and that none are expected, framing the helipad strictly as a tool for emergencies rather than convenience.