Central Cascades Fire and EMS uses heliport to help keep visitors to Crescent Lake safe

By DIANE KAHLER/Correspondent/The Herald — Crescent Lake is a small rural community, but we have many visitors who travel up Highway 58.  The goal of our fire department, Central Cascades Fire and EMS, is to keep you safe.

The agency has constructed and owns a heliport certified and registered with the Oregon Department of Aviation. The heliport is designated FAA LID: OR33.  This is not a landing zone or helipad, but a fully paved and lighted heliport.

If you are involved in an accident, injury or sudden onset of illness, Central Cascades Fire and EMS will respond.  If you need transport by ambulance, Crescent Fire Department (17 miles from Crescent Lake) will respond.  Crescent Fire Department has the ambulance transport contract with Klamath County.  We are 68 miles from a hospital in Bend and 80 miles from a hospital in Eugene.

When EMS responds, decisions will be made as to the urgency of the situation.  It may be determined that you need a life flight helicopter to transport you to the hospital.  Presently, the service used is Air Link Critical Care Transport of Bend, Oregon.  If you would like more information about Air Link Services go to its website.

Crescent Lake Airport

Here at Crescent Lake, we have our own official airport.  This is a public airport and is operated by the Oregon Department of Aviation designated FAA: 5S2, elevation 4,810 feet.  The airport was recently widened, cleared for fire prevention and resurfaced. The airport is closed from Nov. 1 through May 1 due to snow. Location: driving up Highway 58, turn right at the junction of Highway 58 and Crescent Lake Highway (across from Manley’s) the airport is a short distance on your right.