Date: August 8, 2002	Contact: Darren Pudgil
	tel: (619) 531-5894

"FLYING FIRETRUCK" SWOOPS INTO ACTION
Roberts Says “The Sky’s the Limit” as to What This Helicopter Can Do!

MISSION BAY – County Supervisor Ron Roberts joined
San Diego City Councilman Byron Wear and a handful of fire
department personnel for the debut of San Diego’s first
locally-based firefighting helicopter.

No sooner than it landed on the southern shores of Mission Bay for a
brief noontime ceremony was the helicopter called into action to help
douse a canyon fire in South Park. The Bell 212, which can carry 375 gallons of water, made three drops on the fire and helped keep it from reaching any homes.

“This is an amazing piece of equipment,” said Roberts, who led the effort to secure $280,000 of the $470,000 it will cost to lease, staff and maintain the aircraft for the three months it will be in San Diego. “The sky’s the limit as to what it can do!”

In addition to dousing flames, this specially equipped helicopter will be enormously effective in a number of life-threatening scenarios. For example, when a car accident occurs in a remote, hard-to-reach area, the helicopter could aid in a rescue effort by delivering equipment like the “jaws of life."

Lifeguards also will be able to utilize the helicopter to rescue swimmers who get caught out beyond the surf line or trapped along a cliffside.

Other capabilities include flying in paramedics to emergency situations, plucking someone out of a flood channel, and providing rapid roof-top vacuation from high-rise buildings in the event of a fire.

The helicopter is based out of Montgomery Field and is ready to respond 24 hours a day anywhere in San Diego County.