Communique' - California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

Fire fi ghting helicopters
Interagency program bolsters San Diego County’s
fi re suppression power
San Diego Sheriff Bill Kolender
unveiled two Bell 205
A-1++ medium lift fi re fi ghting
helicopters during a press conference
at ASTREA base in El Cajon
on July 8, 2005.
The aircraft were purchased
from Eagle Helicopters of Calgary
using $3.5 million of county
money and a $1.5 million grant
from the county’s Indian casinos.
Upon arrival, both new helicopters
were inspected by sheriff’s
aviation mechanics and test
fl own by retired CDF Chief Pilot
Cecil Gill.
These are the fi rst two aircraft
bought for the new regional fi re
helicopter program the county
created after the wildfi res of
2003. The county’s lack of fi refi
ghting helicopters became a
hot-button political issue after
those fi res.
The new Bell 205 program is
dedicated to providing effi cient
fi re suppression operations to all
area fi re agencies. The fi re mission
is the fi rst priority of these
aircraft, but they will also be utilized
to perform technical rescue
operations when necessary.
As of October 31, the interagency
helicopter program had
responded to 192 calls for service
and taken action at over 120
incidents. The helicopters had
fl own more than 440 hours and
dropped over 398,950 gallons of
water on vegetation fi res. The
program is slowly migrating into
the rescue phase, where the high
altitude/hot temperature capabilities
of these unique helicopters
will become very benefi cial. The
program personnel have complet-
ed the necessary hoist
rescue training and
have performed several
successful rescues.
Because these
helicopters are owned
by the county of San
Diego, they do not have
any restrictions on
how they may be used.
This recently allowed
a unique and historic
partnership between
Above, CDF Director Dale Geldert and Deputy
the copter program
Director, Fire Protection Jim Wright, stand in front
and a television
of one of the new copters.
production company
Below, the entire 2005 San Diego Sheriff/CDF
under contract to the
Copter crew.
Discovery Channel.
Watch the
Discovery Channel
in early 2006 for an
inside look into the
lives and emergency
response role of
the CDF San Diego
Unit helitack crew.
“Outside of our
relationship with
our federal counterparts,
I can think
of no other cooperaagement
Unit. The San Diego
tive effort that has blossomed in Unit helitack staff spent nearly
the way this program has,” said 400 fl ight hours this winter
CDF Captain Steve Shoemaker. helping retired CDF Chief Pilot
“We truly feel the support for this Cecil Gill in preparing the San
program from throughout the Diego Sheriff’s Offi ce’s four most
CDF chain of command, and the experienced pilots for the Super
sheriff’s offi ce has overwhelm- Huey fi re mission. In addition
ingly welcomed this partnership to the fl ight training, each pilot
with the San Diego Unit.” completed an aviator variation of
CDF provided unprecedented the Fire Fighter I-Basic academy
logistical support during the including skills testing on shelter
training period including loaner deployments, S-190 fi re behav-
helicopters and technical experior, ICS 200 and CDF helitack
tise from current and retired
members of the Aviation Man-
SAN DIEGO: continued on page 11
Communique’ 10