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APSA's E-Newsletter is designed to help keep you informed on the very latest information in the airborne law enforcement industry. The E-Newsletter may also be read online here at our website. Dramatic Rescue Saves Fisherman
According to Officer Tim Schilling, who was aboard the Fairfax County chopper, they lowered life jackets and helmets to the men with the expectation that the U.S. Park Police helicopter would then lower a net to the stranded fishermen. One of the men had a different idea. He let go of the pole he was holding onto and grabbed onto the rope used to lower the safety equipment. Schilling says his crew then had no choice but to drag the man along the water, away from the dam, and toward a waiting fire department boat. Sgt. Ken Burchell of the U.S Park Police crew says they then moved in with the Billy Pugh net and were able to get the second man to safety. Burchell and Schilling both called this a difficult rescue operation with little margin for error. Each figured they had one chance to make the rescue and worried that a mistake could result in the men falling over the dam. Sgt. Burchell co-piloted Eagle 1 with Sgt. Kevin Chittick. Sgt. Mark Varanelli and Officer David Hurley, both Aviation Rescue Technicians, coordinated the rescue. Officer Schilling and Officer Jon Kaminski handled the rescue end as Chuck Angle piloted the Fairfax County helicopter. Source: www.wusa9.com SWAT Team Takes Out Man Who Took Aim at Helicopter A 53-year-old man was fatally shot last month after he aimed a rifle at the King County (WA) Sheriff's Department helicopter, Guardian One. The shooting occurred after a sheriff's SWAT team had surrounded the man's house when he reportedly threatened to ignite a 250-pound fertilizer bomb. The man made the threat when deputies accompanied the man's ex-wife to his house to claim some property. The deputies then backed off and the helicopter, SWAT team, bomb squad and negotiator were called to assist. When the man went out on his back deck and aimed a rifle with a scope at the helicopter, a SWAT marksman positioned on the ground fired a single shot and struck the man. Still unsure whether the man, a former merchant marine, had a bomb in the home, the Sheriff's Office then sent in a robot to search for any explosives or booby traps. The SWAT team found no explosives. Source: seattletimes.nwsource.com Donated Aircraft Valuable To Agency
The helicopter was donated by Dale County (AL) Sheriff's Office to the CCSD and immediately began its retrofit into a law enforcement tool. All repairs and updates to the aircraft were paid for by private donations and, according to Sutton, have been at no cost to the county or taxpayers. Neighboring Enterprise (AL) Police Chief T.D. Jones said having a law enforcement helicopter within the county would be beneficial to all local agencies. “It is another tool for us to fight crime in the county,” Jones said. Currently, we have utilized the Dale County Sheriff's Department helicopter in its crime-fighting efforts. “Dale County has been good to us in the past, but this will give us another option,” he said. Source: www.zwire.com UAV Makes Bust in Netherlands
On its first shift, the Cannachopper immediately proved to be effective; a cannabis field was discovered and seven suspects were later arrested. Several tons of cannabis was intercepted. At another location, a grow-shop was found with a significant amount of cannabis, according to a Dutch newspaper. Aside from the Cannachopper, authorities are attempting to curtail cannabis by forbidding coffee shops (which sell the plant) to be within 820 feet of schools. The Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), a Dutch centrist ruling party, advocates abolition of the so-called “tolerance policy” towards cannabis presently adopted by the Netherlands. Crew Spots Stolen Vehicles on First Day
Source: www.weekendpost.co.za |
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Volunteer Helicopter Help Approved by Local Officials
Manley said that he would be the one to make the call to the pilot when help is needed to control how and when volunteer help was used. Board members approved a reimbursement fee of $60 an hour for small plane use and $150 an hour for helicopter use. Source: www.picayuneitem.com Actions of Kenya Police Pilot Saves Lives
"We were only 10 seconds airborne when the plane developed a mechanical problem. This forced the pilot to crash land, hitting Kenya Power and Lighting Company electric cables," said co-pilot Captain Mburu. The MI-17 helicopter pilot, Captain Mugane, was praised as a hero by his 28 passengers for saving their lives. The aircraft landed on two houses near a slaughterhouse, about 350 feet from the stadium where the rally was held. "It is through the professionalism of the pilot that we survived death,” Ojodeh said. “The pilot made several attempts to avoid hitting the big crowd that had turned up for the rally. It is through God's grace that nobody (in the crowd) was injured." Source: www.nation.co.ke Stranded Swimmers Safe After Beach Rescue
Source: cbs3.com/local Public-Private Partnership Acquires Helicopters
The aircraft will allow Starflight to do something it has never been able to before: tap into the Medicare system for reimbursement when Medicare-eligible patients are transported to and from medical centers throughout the region. Until now, Starflight has operated military surplus vehicles, earning it the status of a public service provider ineligible for Medicare reimbursement payments. Now, Starflight can qualify as a commercial provider, making it eligible for those payments from Medicare. Source: www.observertoday.com New Helicopters for Angola National Police The command of the Angola National Police Helicopters Station accepted four new Ecureil-N3 helicopters last month. Superintendent Domingos Gomes said that the station now has 10 helicopters for various purposes and 25 pilots divided into various fleets. The Helicopters Station was created during the holding of the first multi-party elections in Africa and confirmed its presence during the visit by the late Pope John Paul II. Source: www.portalangop.co.ao Topeka Police Helicopter Back in the Air
It had been a backup helicopter when the department purchased an R-44 in 2007. That helicopter was totaled in an accidental crash landing in April 2008 in a parking lot. The city council never approved spending to purchase a new helicopter. Money was allocated in the 2009 budget for the helicopter's operational costs. Chief Miller said there is a cooperative agreement between the Topeka Police Department and the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office that may establish a combined law enforcement aviation unit. The two would enter a deal to purchase a helicopter together and use it to patrol the entire county. Source: www.wibw.com Local Cops Prepare to Call on National Guard Helicopter Crew
Bennington Police Lt. Paul Doucette said the National Guard's aviation unit could help the department with a number of tasks. The unit is funded through federal money and is free for local departments to use. In the past, the department has relied on the Vermont State Police to conduct drug eradication flights, as well as the Bennington County Sheriff's Department. But the Sheriff's Department is no longer as active in drug eradication efforts, Doucette said. The National Guard's aviation unit's capabilities extend far beyond drug eradication; they also excel at search and rescue missions and are able to assist local police during a fugitive search. They can offer air support in many situations, such as serving high risk warrants, according to Doucette. "We plan to use the services of the Army National Guard Aviation Unit. There are a lot of good things that could potentially come out of this." Source: www.benningtonbanner.com Seattle Hosts American Heroes Airshow
On Saturday, June 20, the American Heroes Airshow will take place at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, WA from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office and King County Sheriff's Office will have aircraft on display, as well as the U.S. Army, Navy and Coast Guard. Sponsors include the Whirly-Girls, Vertical Magazine, U.S. Department of Justice, Seattle Fire Department and the King County Sheriff's Office. For event information, please contact Barry Pomeroy at barry@heroes-airshow.com. If you're in the Los Angeles area, be sure to attend the airshow on July 11, 2009. It will be held from 9 am to 4 pm at the Hansen Dam Sports Complex in Lake View Terrace, CA. Visit www.heroes-airshow.com for details. Source: American Heroes Agency Breaks Away From Joint Operation
According to the letter issued by Brunswick County Sheriff John Ingram, addressed to the heads of the other agencies, Brunswick County has ‘the opportunity to acquire its own aircraft'. Each of the participating agencies in SABLE pays for a certain amount of flying hours. Source: www.wwaytv3.com TV's 'Washington's Most Wanted' Highlights Laser Incidents
Port of Seattle Police Department detectives are working with Washington State Patrol, King County Sheriff's Office, the FBI and Federal Air Marshals to investigate the cases. Source: blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com Yonkers Police Get Lased A New York man accused of aiming a laser pointer at a Westchester County Police Department helicopter was charged last month with reckless endangerment, with police saying the blinding red light could have caused a catastrophe. "This is a problem on a global scale," said Officer Chris Lieberman, the chief pilot on the flight. "The Federal Aviation Administration is working now with Congress to make this a federal crime because, if a pilot becomes incapacitated, the outcome could become disastrous." Lieberman and his co-pilot in the aviation unit were on routine patrol about 1,000 feet above downtown Yonkers. "The cockpit was suddenly illuminated by a red light. We recognized it as a laser and I attempted to locate the source as the other pilot protected his vision," he said in a news report. They tracked the man to a particular intersection, helping officers on the ground track down the source. Source: ohud.com Got Your Reservations Confirmed?
Attention Exhibitors: APSA Conference Newsletter Submissions Due
If you would like to be included in Air Beat Today, it is very important that you provide us with information about your company's products or services with special emphasis on what you will be featuring at this year's APSA Conference & Expo. You may provide us with 50 words of text and one photo or logo. Content can be sent directly to airbeat@PublicSafetyAviation.org no later than June 26. Word documents are preferred with jpeg or tiff images sent separately. Any questions, please contact Lisa Wright at 727-343-5600. |
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Two men fishing on the Occoquan River in Fairfax County, Virginia suddenly found themselves fighting for their lives last month. Their boat's engine developed mechanical problems and began drifting toward a dam's 75-foot drop. The men jumped out of the boat and grabbed onto a pole for safety. Helicopters from U.S. Park Police and the Fairfax County Police Department arrived on the scene and developed a rescue plan, coordinating with ground units and those on the water in rescue boats.
Coffee County (AL) Sheriff's Department's (CCSD) newly renovated OH-58 C aircraft will be utilized as part of the department's Coffee Airborne Law Enforcement Unit, said Sheriff Dave Sutton at its unveiling last month. “During the summer and early fall months, the unit will focus largely on marijuana eradication efforts. From 1,000 feet above, the trained eye can spot anything from a single marijuana plant growing next to a house to a group of plants in a thickly wooded pine forest,” he said. The airborne unit will also assist in search and rescue through Project Lifesaver.
Dutch police started using a special unmanned aerial vehicle last month in the Netherlands to combat illegal cannabis growing. TheCannachopper can fly in the air by itself for several hours and is equipped with smell and image sensors, meant to detect cannabis fields from long distances.
South African Police Service Air Wing recovered eight stolen vehicles on the first day of their anti-vehicle theft operation in their new helicopter. The stolen vehicles were parked together near a bushy area last month when the aircrew spotted them while flying over the area. Police spokesman Inspector Alwyn Labans said the Robinson R44 helicopter was being tested for the first time when the vehicles were found.
Citing a need for an emergency air search team, the Pearl River (MS) County board of supervisors approved a reimbursement program for pilots who volunteer their services and equipment for air searches. Emergency management director Danny Manley told board members that the county benefited last month from the volunteer assistance of a pilot who searched for prison escapees and a lost child. He added that although the county has no financial obligation to reimburse volunteers, he wanted them to reimburse the pilots for fuel and maintenance of their equipment during search and rescue missions.
A split second decision by the pilot of a police helicopter to crash land on buildings saved a high-powered team of Kenya government officials, including Police Commissioner Hussein Ali and Assistant Minister Orwa Ojodeh last month. The decision also averted a serious accident that may have killed people in a large crowd that had just attended a public rally addressed by the two officials.
A Delaware State Police helicopter aircrew rescued two swimmers who fell off a raft and were drifting out to sea last month. State police say the helicopter dropped a line to the man and woman, and the two hung onto it while they were towed back about a half-mile to shore. The woman lost her grip before reaching the beach, but another beachgoer helped pull her to shore.
Starflight, a joint operation between the Chautauqua County (NY) Sheriff's Office and WCA Services Corporation, unveiled their two new red, twin-engine MD 900 Explorer helicopters last month, saying the $3 million acquisition will pay for itself and help the agency become self-sufficient.
Police Chief Ron Miller said last month that the Topeka (KS) Police Department's helicopter, a 1994 Schweizer, is ready for use and operational now that its engine has been rebuilt. He said it was down for a few months during the process. The aircraft will only be used for training purposes and when necessary for emergency management to get an aerial survey of storm damage. Pilots have already begun training in the helicopter.
The advent of warm weather and sunshine means lush, green mountains and sprouting gardens. It also means marijuana plants are likely to begin appearing across the rural landscape. Marijuana is "readily available” in all areas of Vermont, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. For that reason, Bennington Police Department is looking to eradicate outdoor growing operations with help from the Vermont Army National Guard Air Support Program. Last month, officers were trained in aerial marijuana eradication capabilities with seven officers qualified to fly and serve as local observers and oversee missions from the air.
The American Heroes Air Show is the nation's premier, helicopter–only, admission-free aviation event designed to profile the dynamic role of helicopters and aircrews in law enforcement, public safety, communications, and search and rescue, as well as homeland security and national defense. The event features static displays and information from flight crews.
The Brunswick County Sheriff's Office will soon have a 0H-58 helicopter. In order to operate its own helicopter, the department decided last month to withdraw from Southeastern North Carolina Airborne Law Enforcement (SABLE), the multi-agency, two-helicopter law enforcement effort between Wilmington, Leland, Pender and Brunswick counties.
Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound and the "Washington's Most Wanted" TV show are joining the investigation into the aircraft lasering incidents at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport over the past several months. Since February 26, aircraft on approach to Sea-Tac Airport have been targeted by lasers, which can temporarily blind the pilots. The crime is a Class "C" felony, which could result in a penalty of up to five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
Instructors, staff, vendors and volunteers are gearing up to welcome you to Savannah, Georgia for the 39th Annual APSA Conference & Expo on July 22-25, 2009. The educational lineup is fantastic, so if you haven't registered, do so today by visiting 
Next month, we will see you at the 39th Annual APSA Conference & Expo in Savannah, Georgia. APSA will again have a daily conference newsletter called Air Beat Today, and we'd like to help you drive traffic to your exhibit booth!
