Orange County Sheriff’s office launches Fly-Car Program to save lives in rural communities

The department’s new fly-car may look like a standard SUV, but inside it’s equipped with advanced medical gear making it a mini ambulance capable of delivering critical care faster than traditional EMS units.

“This is the main pocket where we keep a lot of our most important things for trauma,” said Deputy Tim McLachlan, demonstrating the vehicle’s setup.

McLachlan is one of the deputies assigned to the fly-car, which is currently patrols in the Town of Mount Hope an area where ambulance response times can stretch to 20 minutes or more.

“Certain areas rely on volunteer EMS, and during the day, those volunteers are working their regular jobs,” McLachlan explained. “Our job is to respond quicker than any other agency is able to.”

The fly-car is equipped with tools like the chest compression system and trauma kits, allowing deputies to begin treatment immediately often making the difference between life and death.

“Someone in cardiac arrest can be dead within a minute or two,” McLachlan said. “If the ambulance takes 10 to 20 minutes to arrive, that’s the difference between life and death.”

McLachlan says his decision to become an EMT was inspired by a mass casualty incident he responded to the Wawayanda bus rollover on I-84 in September 2023.

“It was at that time I realized I needed to expand my knowledge and be able to do something like this,” he said.

Officials say the Fly-Car Program is part of a broader effort to integrate medical response into everyday policing.

“Part of policing is handling medical emergencies,” McLachlan added. “That’s the difference between a child or an adult surviving — and that’s not something any cop wants to have on their conscience.”

The fly-car -was funded through state grants, and the sheriff’s office is exploring the possibility of adding another vehicle later this year.

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