City of Carmi leaders say the owners of the old hospital property have padlocked the helipad and marked it with No Trespassing signs, leaving emergency responders forced to find other landing options for potential air medical evacuations. Tariq Ayyad with TSA Holdings tells WROY/WRUL News there isn’t currently insurance coverage that would cover a potential mishap or disaster associated with the helipad and that his company would be held liable. Ayyad says TSA Holdings Group is actively working to rehab the property and they have plans to convert the old hospital into an Urgent Care and nursing residence. Designers are working on plumbing, landscaping, the interior and more according to Ayyad with plans to add a cafeteria and a pharmacy. A city official told us TSA Holdings wants the ambulance service to pay $1,000 per month for use of the helipad. In the meantime, other landing spots for medical transport helicopters include Melrose Cemetery and leaders are exploring options for other helipad locations including across the street at the soccer fields. We expect to hear more on the subject at tonight’s Carmi City Council meeting.
