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APSA Rescue Summit 2023 will be held in conjunction with the Helicopter Association International’s HELI-EXPO on Monday, March 6, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA. Rescue Summit 2023 is for all who use VTOL aircraft in rescue operations; it will include a full day of various presentations pertaining to helicopter rescue operations including topics such as hoisting, safety and critical incident & accident reviews. Networking opportunities with APSA members and vendors are scheduled throughout the day.
Registration for Rescue Summit 2023 is complimentary as a benefit of membership; a nominal fee for non-members applies. All attendees must be registered to participate. The full agenda and registration information can be found here.
For information on being a Rescue Summit 2023 sponsor, contact Benay Osborne at 301-631-2406 or bosborne@publicsafetyaviation.org.
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APSA's first Safety Seminar of 2023 will take place in Fort Lauderdale, FL. March 21-23. Registration is open via the APSA website. The event’s host hotel, the Marriott Fort Lauderdale North, is offering attendees a discount rate until March 6. Don’t miss this opportunity to participate in top-notch training, see the industry’s latest products and technology displayed in the exhibit area and network with your public safety aviation peers.
APSA Safety Seminars are offered free of charge as a benefit of membership to all active association members (a fee applies for non-members) and cover a wide range of topics through informative training classes as well as roundtable discussions. Register today! And check the APSA website regularly for the latest information on this and other APSA training events.
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The Ventura County (CA) Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit received its new 2022 Bell 412EPX in late December. The aircraft replaces the former Copter 9, a 1969 Bell UH-1 Iroquois Huey. The new helicopter now bears the Copter 9 designation and will be the primary aircraft used during search and rescue missions by the Aviation Unit, a joint venture of the Sheriff's Office and Ventura County Fire District.
VCSO Capt. Randy Downard, who oversees the air unit, said the new helicopter will upgrade the technology used by his team to modern standards. "We're set to bring the Aviation Unit into the future," Downard said. The new Bell 412EPX has features that allow the helicopter to not only fly faster, but run smoother with greater stability. This is especially important when performing tasks like hovering close to the ground and hoisting up patients. Other upgrades include a larger fuel tank, lighter materials and an updated transmission system co-developed with Subaru.
The aircraft cost $14.5 million with upgrades to make it suitable for SAR missions. It was paid for via a combination of general fund reserves from the county and Proposition 172 public safety funds.
The Bell 412EPX is the latest acquisition for the air unit, which also added two larger FIREHAWK helicopters to its arsenal in 2021. With multiple aircraft on its roster, the Aviation Unit can still operate even if one of its helicopters is out of commission or undergoing maintenance. "Our goal is to always have a FIREHAWK and a rescue Huey up and running," Keller said.
Source: vcstar.com
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As part of our education and training program for 2023, APSA will conduct a series of webinars, one a month with the exception of June-August. Recognizing the need to provide training to those members who may not be able to travel to in-person APSA events, these webinars continue the series of live, online training originally brought about by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Scheduled for Thursdays, 1:00-2:30 pm ET, the schedule and topics for the first five (5) webinars in this series are:
- January 19, 2023: Understanding Aircraft Insurance | Chris Young and Jessica Parker
- February 23, 2023: Maintaining Your Aircraft in 2023 | Bill Hopper, AirEvac Lifeteam
- March 30, 2023: Counter Drone Operations | Anthony DeMolina, Tactical Drone Concepts
- April 20, 2023: Tactical Training and Simulation | Matt Roberts, FlightSafety International
- May 18, 2023: Training Tactical Operations | Nick Minx, Tactical Flying, Inc.
Registration for these webinars are open. To register, simply click on the webinar(s) you would like to participate in and complete the registration form. These webinars are offered free of charge to APSA members.
Interested in sponsoring one or more of these webinars and addressing the participants? Contact Benay Osborne by email or call 301-631-2406 for Details.
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The Sacramento County (CA) Sheriff’s Office STAR (Sheriff Tactical Air Response) V helicopter was airlifted from its landing spot to a waiting trailer a day after making an emergency landing last month. The airlift was arranged to pull the EC120B from the southeast Sacramento County field for repairs after it made a hard landing. The open space, pelted by rain, made access to the aircraft difficult because of muddy conditions. The helicopter landed upright on its skids, which sustained some minor damage.
A UH-1H Huey helicopter from A&P Helicopters hoisted the SCSO’s aircraft a few yards away to a trailer after its rotor blades were removed. The aircraft was transported to a repair facility. Watch the airlift video here.
Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Amar Gandhi said neither the pilot nor the tactical flight officer suffered any injuries. They did not require any medical attention or a trip to a hospital. “I’ll be honest with you,” Gandhi told reporters, “the fact they both walked away is a win in all of our books.”
There were two deputies onboard the helicopter when it was forced down while on routine patrol. One of the deputies has worked for the Sheriff’s Office for 25 years and been assigned to Air Operations for 10 years. The other has been with the agency for 19 years and assigned to Air Ops for five. Their names were not released.
The Sheriff’s Office informed the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration. The federal agencies will conduct concurrent investigations of the incident, along with the Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s spokesman said it could be weeks before authorities conclude the cause of the forced landing.
“As of right now, the cause of the crash is still under investigation,” Gandhi said. “Could be mechanical; could be weather-related. Weather was starting to turn at the time. Obviously, it could be a combination of both.”
Source: sacbee.com
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APSA conducts regularly scheduled online meetings for safety officers, maintenance technicians, SAR and Natural Resources personnel, and UAS operators that you can join using your computer, mobile device or phone. To facilitate this, the UAS, Safety Officer and Maintenance Technician Meeting Groups meet once every two months, and the SAR Personnel and Natural Resources Meeting Groups meet quarterly.
These meetings are open to any APSA member. Contract maintenance providers to APSA members are welcome to participate in the maintenance meeting as well. To receive meeting information and be added to the mailing list, send an email to tpalmer@publicsafetyaviation.org.
The schedule for upcoming APSA online meetings is as follows:
- UAS: Wednesday, January 11, 2023 from 1:00-2:00 pm EST (1800 UTC)
- Safety Officers: Friday, January 20, 2023 from 1:00-2:00 PM EST (1800 UTC)
- SAR: Wednesday, February 8, 2023 from 1:00-2:00 PM EST (1800 UTC)
- Maintenance: Wednesday, February 22, 2023 from 1:00-2:00 PM EST (1800 UTC)
- Natural Resources: Wednesday, March 29, 2023 from 1:00-2:00 pm EDT (1700 UTC)
Click Here for Complete Schedule of Online Meeting Groups for 2023
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A Colorado deputy was patrolling an area when he spotted a Ford F-150 with no taillights traveling southbound at 90 mph. The deputy turned on his emergency lights and siren and gave chase in a pursuit that continued at high speeds. During the pursuit, Durango (CO) Police Department officers learned the pickup had been stolen. A spike strip was deployed by other deputies. It wasn’t long before the 40-year-old driver of the pickup came back down the road and blew all four tires on the truck. He then ran from the vehicle and into thick brush where deputies lost sight of him. That’s when an officer/drone pilot arrived on scene. Within three minutes of liftoff, the infrared camera on the drone located the man hiding 30 yards west of the road. Deputies closed in and arrested him without further incident.
“We’ve had some good wins with the drone, as far as looking for bad guys,” Officer Pilot Dan Kellermeyer said. In a release issued by DPD about the arrest, the drone is praised as a “great piece of technology that serves the whole community” and that the department wants the community to know how it will be utilized.
Kellermeyer elaborated on that while talking with reporters about the incident. “I think when people hear drone, or especially in a government use, there’s maybe some concerns that some people have,” Kellermeyer said. “And we want people to know that we are intentional about the way we are building our policies and using drones to focus on public safety. We are not doing random surveillance or looking for crime. We solely deploy the drone in response to specific incidents in progress.”
In addition to searching for suspected offenders, the DPD’s four drones can be deployed for missing persons, search and rescue, hazardous spills, disaster response, and crash investigations. “We’ve put the drone out on three different fatal accidents that we’ve had in the city,” Kellermeyer said. “And it only takes six or seven minutes to take a bunch of photographs of that scene that we can then take back to our office and stitch together into a map and do our measurements on that model, as opposed to spending an hour-and-a-half on scene doing manual measurements of everything. So that significantly cuts down on the amount of time that we’re processing accidents.”
Source: durangoherald.com
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A vehicle containing two people somehow went over the side of the road, falling about 250 feet down an 800-foot slope into Monkey Canyon in Los Angeles County last month. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) Special Enforcement Bureau shared dramatic footage of the rescue. One thirty-second clip showed one of the bureau’s tactical medics hoisting a person into the Air Rescue 5 helicopter and an image of the upside-down car that the passengers were rescued from.
Despite the drop, both patients were “ambulatory and in mild distress” when rescued by the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD). “Saving lives is priority 1,” SEB wrote on Twitter. Both patients were airlifted to a local trauma center after they were hoisted from the vehicle. It’s not clear what caused the crash.
Source: www.wsgw.com
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Lincolnshire Police Department has a team of 15 drone pilots who have helped save lives and catch criminals on the run across the rural county. The department has had drones since 2017, and Chief Pilot Kev Taylor says they are getting more advanced all the time.
"Helicopters have been doing it for years, and we've always had that ability for a helicopter to have a look at a property and say 'there's something very unusual going on there'. But they are an expensive resource and if we can do it cheaper and more efficiently, then that's what we should do,” said Taylor.
Lincolnshire's drones had been used 400 times in the past year, helping to find missing people and tracking down suspects fleeing the police. Watch them in action.
In one case, a drone pilot helped find a 75-year-old woman with dementia who was lost in a field. Using thermal imaging technology, the pilot tracked the woman as she struggled across the field, fell and got back up again, and made her way into another field. The pilot guided officers on the ground to the woman, who was then brought to safety. In another case, a drone tracked a 38-year-old man running from police and even followed him as he swam across a river before the pilot guided officers in to arrest him. During last summer's heatwaves, the drones helped track down illegal water extraction and they have also been used to investigate increasing numbers of arson attacks by capturing aerial views of fires and assessing damage.
Recently, the drone team's Twitter account @LincsCOPter was named 'Best Social Media Account' at last year’s World's Emergency Drone Conference, hosted in Paris by the International Emergency Drone Organization.
Source: bbc.com
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The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) will begin leasing a new helicopter in 2023, thanks to a state grant. The $9 million grant is from the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA).
The money comes from a $335 million fund to be used for border-related crime as a deterrent for those crossing into the U.S. illegally. Commander Robert Watkins said the helicopter will provide assistance in a number of crime-related scenarios, including tracking criminal activity along the border.
“Over the past 18 months, Cochise County has seen an enormous increase in criminal activity along the international border with Mexico. Cochise County covers 6,200 square miles with several different mountain ranges. As seen in other regions throughout not only our state but globally, helicopters afford the ability of personnel and resources to be transported and dropped into remote locations which otherwise would be unreachable,” Watkins continued.
He noted the helicopter will “provide quick access to smuggling corridors and assist in maintaining digital surveillance equipment within the mountainous regions. It may also assist in providing immediate medical responses to both law enforcement, citizens and migrants in remote areas. The helicopter can also be used to assist our search and rescue teams as well as assist with our ongoing pursuit issues. Having this aircraft will allow law enforcement to safely monitor the pursuits and allow us to strategically place resources in areas where the pursuit can be brought to a safe conclusion.”
The five-year contract will run through Dec. 31, 2027, said Watkins during the last month’s meeting of the Board of Supervisors. He added there had been five recent
situations in which a helicopter would have been useful to ground law enforcement. In one recent instance, for example, eyes in the skies could have led to an early end to the chase of a suspect who shot two people at a recreational vehicle sales lot. The suspect, who killed one person and injured another, fled the scene but could have been apprehended sooner with aerial assistance.
The grant funding the CCSO’s previous helicopter ended in 2020, leaving the department without the capabilities for about three years.
Source: myheraldreview.com
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On Dec. 28, Michigan State Police (MSP) were notified of a reckless driver who was traveling faster than 130 mph on main roads and in neighborhoods throughout Detroit’s east side, causing several car crashes. Video captured by a MSP Aviation Unit helicopter shows the driver ignoring traffic laws and recklessly weaving through traffic, sometimes driving on the wrong side of the road. At one point in the video, the driver can be seen ignoring a red light and crossing a busy intersection, maneuvering between cars coming from both sides of the perpendicular road.
Police were not engaging in a vehicular pursuit of the reckless driver, as it can be dangerous, especially at such high speeds. MSP’s helicopter continued to track the reckless driver from above without his knowledge. Officials say the underbody of the vehicle eventually caught fire. Captured on the helicopter footage , the driver can be seen exiting and abandoning the on-fire vehicle and entering the passenger seat of another vehicle. The initial driver and the new driver, also identified as a male, then drove away. Less than one minute later, several Detroit police vehicles converged on the two individuals, boxing them in.
The individuals were arrested. It is unclear what charges they may be facing at this time. It is also unclear if the second driver was purposely waiting for the reckless driver, or if the driver forcefully entered the second vehicle. Police said they recovered an illegal firearm from the individuals.
Source: clickondetroit.com
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Most articles you read in APSA’s Air Beat magazine come from members like you. With the help of our editorial staff, it’s easy to spotlight the great work of your aviation unit with an article in Air Beat. (It’s our editor’s job to make you look good, so don’t worry if you’re not a writer.) Editorial topics for 2023 include safety, natural resource aviation, hoisting, aircrew compositions (sworn and unsworn), night vision, thermal imaging, survival equipment/training, and more. Our editorial team is always looking for public safety agencies that want to highlight their aviation unit or members who want to share their knowledge, so please reach out.
Whether your missions involve law enforcement, emergency medical transport, natural resource conservation, firefighting, or search and rescue, or if you operate helicopters, fixed-wing or unmanned platforms, we’d love to hear from you and be able to spotlight your agency in Air Beat this year. Email us at airbeat@publicsafetyaviation.org for information.
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Last month, Bay County commissioners approved a $2.15 million purchase of a 2007 Bell 407 helicopter for the Bay County (FL) Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit. The helicopter will be bought from the Volusia County (FL) Sheriff's Office and will give the BCSO a much more modern aircraft than the two outdated helicopters it currently uses, both of which are more than 50 years old.
"It's just time for BCSO to update its equipment," Tommy Hamm, chairman of the Bay County Commission, said of the purchase. "The aircraft are antiquated. They don't have the up-to-date law enforcement tools that the sheriff could use in his day-to-day activities." Hamm noted he believes the new helicopter also will be a vital asset in the recovery of potential future natural disasters, whether in Bay County or surrounding counties that need help. He said helicopters proved to be an important tool for Bay County in the aftermath of Category 5 Hurricane Michael in October 2018 and during the wildfires of the Chipola Complex. The Chipola Complex included three wildfires that torched thousands of acres in Florida's Panhandle.
"They play an intricate role in law enforcement itself," Hamm said. "Our population is growing exponentially, and it's just time that we have these tools available for the sheriff to continue to provide protection for our community."
Source: newsherald.com
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The Virginia Beach (VA) Police Department rescued an 80-year-old male dementia patient last month who was found stuck in the woods in a ditch. According to police, ground officers were searching in dense terrain, cold temperatures and dark skies, but a fully-equipped helicopter came to the rescue.
“Had he been in that water, he probably would have succumbed to hypothermia or been pretty severely injured,” VBPD Aviation Unit Supervisor Sgt. Mark Miller said. “I think the aircraft and the technology on board was a game changer.”
The VBPD aircrew was on regular patrol when they got a call to help search for a missing man. “Officers on the ground are restricted to foot,” Sgt. Miller said. “Everything they are seeing is from a linear view. We get a worldly view.”
Sgt. Miller said the technology within the helicopter helped the crew spot the man. Forward-looking infrared mounted to the front of the helicopter is one of the main tools used. “It detects temperature variants between human beings, an animal or a building or something that is warm versus something that it cold. It compares it to the surroundings,” Sgt. Miller said. “His heat signature was very evident.”
Sgt. Miller said the man was about 40 feet away from Sentara Hospice. For the crew in the air, the next task was getting officers to the tree line. “The pilot was guiding the officer on the ground to go to a certain building and then from that building go a certain direction,” Sgt. Miller said. Thankfully, on-foot officers were able to locate the man.
Sgt. Miller said it was another job well done for the Aviation Unit and responding officers. He said the Aviation Unit reaches more successful conclusions than not. “I can tell you. I am extremely proud of these guys. I am extremely impressed,” he said.
Source: wavy.com
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The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) has added six new drone operators to their ranks. It's the first class to graduate from IMPD's Auxiliary Remote Pilot School. The department said their Aviation Unit was created amid advancing technology, allowing more coverage in the city.
IMPD Aviation Unit Commander Sgt. Ron Shelnutt said his goal is to have at least one drone operator working every shift in each district. "It's a force multiplier, if you will," he said. "Some have done studies on it and say a drone is worth 12 officers on the ground." The devices can help in situations from SWAT events to searches for missing people and even providing security at public events. They can also work in most weather conditions, including complete darkness.
Source: wthr.com
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The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department responded to rescue four hikers and their dogs stuck on Mt. Baldy last month. Located in the San Gabriel Mountains, Mt. Baldy’s peak is at the 10,064-foot level, with trail conditions that day described as snowy, icy and slippery.
The first couple, ages 35 and 34, became stuck in steep, icy terrain. They attempted to hike back to a trail when they slid down approximately 20 feet. They were able to stop their slide and remained in place. They called 911 on their cell phone and requested help. The agency’s 40-King-1 helicopter crew was dispatched to the area of the GPS coordinates given.
The aircrew arrived in the area, located the hikers, and confirmed a hoist rescue would be necessary. The aircrew requested assistance from Air Rescue 306, which responded with two technical ice rescue team members. Due to the terrain, the rescuers had to be hoisted below the hikers, and a rope rescue system was put in place to reach the hikers. The rescuers safely lowered the hikers to a clear area from which they could be hoisted. Both hikers and their dogs were placed into rescue harnesses. The crew hoisted one hiker and one dog at a time and transported them to safety. There were no injuries reported, sheriff’s officials said.
The Air Rescue 306 crew consisted of Pilot Corporal Ryan Peppler, Crew Chief Deputy Greg Hanrahan, Technical Rescuer Corporal Eric Rose, and Technical Rescuer Ean Sanchez. The crew of 40-King-1 included Sheriff’s Sgt. Ed Leon and Tactical Flight Officer Deputy Jon Holt.
Just a couple hours later, deputies were again dispatched to Mt. Baldy in response to another call of stranded hikers. The couple contacted authorities, stating that they had come upon an icy patch and felt as if they would slide down the mountain if they continued. As they attempted to turn back, they saw the previous couple being rescued and requested a similar service from the aircrew as they "did not feel comfortable hiking out on their own," according to Corporal Ryan Peppler.
All four of the hikers and the two dogs were safely returned to more favorable ground. “The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department would like to remind the public about the dangers of hiking in hazardous conditions such as steep, rugged, mountainous terrain covered with snow and ice,” Sgt. Daniel Futscher said in a news release. “Without crampons and an ice ax, along with the proper training to use this equipment, this type of activity can lead to serious injury or death.”
Source: vvdailypress.com and cbsnews.com
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Last month, a herd of cows helped chase a wanted fugitive out of their field and into the open arms of Devon Police in England. Night vision footage from a police helicopter shows the wanted suspect being tailed through a field by the inquisitive group of farmyard animals. The herd makes it easy for the man to be spotted trudging across the meadow on thermal imagery cameras and he was quickly met by pursuing officers.
The National Police Air Service (NPAS) aircrew told officers on the ground: “He’s actually being chased by some cows at the moment. The unit at the track waving at me, yeh, if you walk up that track, I’ll tell you when you are near him.” After assisting in the arrest, the NPAS crew told the ground officers to “thank the cows”.
“Watch the moment a man on the run from @DC_Police was herded up by a group of cows in Devon and ‘mooved’ out of their field into the arms of waiting police officers,” the agency shared on Twitter. “However, we did have to remind the cows not to take the law into their own hoofs.”
The footage sparked a plethora of cop humor puns, with officers adding comments like: “It was a high steaks incident – he was told to stop running, but it clearly went in one ear and out the udder.” One follower commented: “Trying to escape?? How dairy….” It is unclear what crime the man is suspected of committing.
Source: msn.com and telegraph.co.uk
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For the past 20 years, the Tuscaloosa (AL) Police Department (TPD) has taken steps to protect shoppers during the Christmas holiday season. TPD’s pilots were busy flying in the skies above shopping centers and stores to make sure everyone is safe. The “Shopper Chopper” program launched on Thanksgiving and concluded Christmas Day.
TPD’s Aviation Unit is comprised of four helicopters and five pilots. Each aircraft is equipped with night vision, heat-sensitive cameras and bright spotlights. “Having helicopters is another tool for the police department,” Pilot Jarrett Ivey said. “It gives us another tool from up above for what’s going on in the shopping area parking lots and if there’s anything we see, we can radio down to the ground units.”
A local resident said he’s glad the aircrews are watching out for criminals who might try to steal from shoppers. “I think it’s a good idea. Crime is up this year and I have friends in law enforcement and I trust them all,” he said. “Tuscaloosa PD has a good supply of helicopters and great pilots to fly them and I appreciate them keeping us safe out here for the Christmas season.”
and cbsnews.com
Source: cbs42.com
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The Cañon City (CO) Police Department (CCPD) has received their first unmanned aerial vehicle drone thanks to a gift from UAV technology company Airborne Works. CCPD posted about the drone on Facebook last month. CCPD said the drone will help expand the department’s response platform in a variety of ways, including rapid field deployments, search and rescue, tactical deployments, wildfire monitoring, and crime/crash scene documentation.
The donation of the drone is part of the National Public Safety Drone Donation Program, which was founded by Airborne Works. Through the program, a total of 44 drones have been donated to various police and fire agencies throughout the country. CCPD Chief Schick thanked the program for helping the department make a positive impact on the Cañon City community.
Source: fox21news.com
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Sparked by the July 2022 helicopter crash that took the lives of four Bernalillo County first responders – three of them from the Bernalillo County (NM) Sheriff’s Office Air Support Unit– a Fallen Heroes Memorial Wall was unveiled last month, paying tribute to all members of the agency who were killed or died in the line of duty.
Ten officers are highlighted, starting with a deputy sheriff killed in January 1930 and concluding with those who died in the recent helicopter crash. Sheriff Manuel Gonzales said it was important to “recognize the people that we cared about, our colleagues we loved, and also recognize and pay homage to not only them, but also their families.” He noted that a number of family members of those honored on the wall previewed the memorial prior to the official unveiling.
Each of the officers is remembered with a wood American flag containing black stripes and a prominent blue line, symbolizing the line that law enforcement maintains to keep society safe. A large department badge is laid across the field of stripes. A framed photo of each officer is provided, with a synopsis of the event that resulted in death. The memorial is also a way that fellow law enforcement officers can “remember and pay respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice,” Gonzales said.
Sheriff’s Capt. Brandon Blackman said the memorial is especially significant because “it includes every officer in our agency that has ever fallen in the line of duty,” six of whom Blackman said he knew personally during his 22-year career with the department. “It is something that will stand the test of time and serve as a tribute for decades to come,” he said.
Source: abqjournal.com
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The Winnebago County (IL) Sheriff’s Department recently created new aerial unit is part of a high-tech effort to keep the community safe. The department said that they are always looking at different ways to police and protect, and using drones is just another way to do that. “I’m very happy that we are moving down the road with the drone unit, because it is progressive,” said Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana. “It’s progressive, and we can help people and saves peoples’ lives.”
“It’s very important to us that our community comes first,” said Sergeant Steve McCorkle. “You know, we want to make sure that we are taking care of our people, and whatever that circumstance is, we want to have the right tools for that job.” McCorkle said that the smaller drones can be used to go into buildings, while the bigger ones are waterproof, have night vision and infrared, as wells as a microphone to communicate with others.
The drones are ready to be utilized at any time in any weather. It can do things like scan rooftops and check parking lots, things that law enforcement would not be able to do with the naked eye. Officers from all departments will be trained to use the drones.
Source: mystateline.com
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The Blue Lightning Initiative is an element of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Blue Campaign, led by the Department of Transportation and DHS Component Agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The BLI trains aviation personnel to identify potential traffickers and human trafficking victims, and to report their suspicions to federal law enforcement.
They are hosting an in-person event, Combating Human Trafficking in Aviation Summit, in Washington, D.C., on January 26, 2023.
This event will raise awareness of human trafficking in aviation, featuring subject-matter expert presentations, partner representative panels and a lived experience expert perspective on best practices to combat the crime. To date, more than 200,000 personnel in the aviation industry have been trained through the BLI, and actionable tips continue to be reported to law enforcement.
Source: Dept. of Homeland Security
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APSA’s networking, education and training opportunities are unique and specialized for public safety aviation. Let your colleagues and friends know about APSA. Thank you for your membership and helping APSA continue to grow. We would like to welcome the following corporate and individual members who joined during December 2022:
Corporate Members:
Airborne Commander Software
Echodyne
Hangar Z Podcast
Individual Members:
Jamie Allen, Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Winston Benjamin, Orange County Sheriff's Office
Matthew Bevins, Escambia County Sheriff's Office
Ryan Briggs, Charlotte County Sheriff's Office
Chad Brosius, Brosius Drone Services LLC
Ryan Buller, Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Kalem Burns, Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Ernie Carlson, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General
Stephen Combs, Metro Nashville (TN) Police Department | Aviation Unit
J.D. Cook, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
Cory Croscutt, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
Matthew Derse, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission | Headquarters - Lakeland
Wayne Edmondson, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
Lacey Evans, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
David Fairrington, Houston (TX) Police Department | Air Support Division
Curt Fargo, Micro-Tools
Hamilton Halford, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
Michael Hardy, Metro Nashville (TN) Police Department | Aviation Unit
Brad Harrison, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
Hans Jorgensen, San Jose Police Department
James Keener, Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Brian Kistner, Suffolk County Police Department / New York
Casey Kloer, Charlotte County Sheriff's Office
Haley Lucas, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
Douglas Maclean, Cook County Sheriff's Office
Tyler Majka, Sarasota County (FL) Sheriff's Office | Aviation Unit
Roger McConkey, Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Gregory Mercier, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
Jamison Norby, Fresno County (CA) Sheriff's Office | Air Support Unit
Christian Oatis, Harrison County (MS) Sheriff's Office
Tommy Owen, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
Matt Parrott, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
Chris Pletcher, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
Darrell Randolph, Suffolk County PD
Ronald Rosenoff, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission | Headquarters - Lakeland
Jeffrey Sanders, Metro Nashville (TN) Police Department | Aviation Unit
Lance Scott, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
Nick Simpson, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
Stan Stalnaker, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
David Staniszewski, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
John Taylor, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
Nick Turner, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
Mack Ward, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
Paul Wofford, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
William Wood, Georgia State Patrol (Headquarters) Aviation Unit
If you know of other public safety aviators or industry-related companies that could benefit by becoming APSA members, please share this link and help our association grow!
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Get Your Organization's News Online
Send your press releases, company logos and photos to:
Lisa Wright
Editorial Director
airbeat@PublicSafetyAviation.org
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APSA's Monthly E-Newsletters are designed to help keep you informed on the very latest information in the airborne law enforcement industry. Our E-Newsletters are distributed by email, as an additional benefit to our membership. To join our mailing list, you must be a member. If you are not a member of APSA, sign up today!
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This newsletter is published monthly by the Airborne Public Safety Association (APSA), a public benefit, non-profit California corporation. APSA is comprised of air crew and air support personnel in public safety and others who support, promote, and advance the safe and effective use of aircraft by governmental agencies in support of public safety operations.
© Copyright 2023 by the Airborne Public Safety Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this newsletter in whole or in part without written permission from the Editor is prohibited. Product and corporate names mentioned in this newsletter are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the Airborne Public Safety Association (APSA), its Board of Directors, staff or membership; nor shall their publication imply endorsement on the part of APSA of any content or claims made therein. APSA disclaims all warranties, express or implied, and makes no judgment regarding the accuracy of posted information. In no event will APSA be liable to any party for any direct, indirect, special or consequential damages resulting from the publication or any subsequent public distribution thereof.
Airborne Public Safety Association, Inc.
50 Carroll Creek Way
Suite 260
Frederick, MD 21701
Phone (301) 631-2406
Fax (301) 631-2466
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