August 2006

Airborne Law Enforcement Association, Inc.

ALEA  E-Newsletter

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ALEA Member Laid To Rest

Columbus (OH) police helicopter pilot Officer Paul "Stan" Kaiser, 59, died on July 17 while on duty, just moments before he was to take flight. Kaiser got into the chopper with Officer Roger Howard and was preparing for takeoff when he felt faint. Howard and other officers performed CPR before he was taken to the Ohio State University Medical Center, where he later died.

"While they were preparing the aircraft to leave the ground, he suffered what is an apparent heart attack," said Columbus Police Department’s Sgt. Mike Woods. Kaiser was a 32-year veteran of the force and was assigned to the Police Helicopter Unit for more than 22 years. "This is a big loss for the division. He was somebody who loved what he was doing every day and was passing it on. It's a terrible loss and we're going to miss him," Woods said.

Police said the heart attack was unexpected because Kaiser had passed his yearly physical three weeks earlier.

Source: WCHM-TV

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Volusia County Gets Acquisition Approval

Last month, the Volusia County (FL) Sheriff's Office was on cloud nine after their city council agreed to purchase three new helicopters for their Air One fleet, at a cost of just over $6 million. A local hospital, Halifax Medical Center, has agreed to pay half the cost. The county should get the first new chopper by December 2008.

The sheriff's Air One current fleet is composed of three Bell 407 helicopters, which are used for aerial surveillance, fire suppression and medical emergencies. The police crews of Air One operate under a mutual aid agreement and are available to any local municipality that requests aerial support. The helicopters fly about 2,000 times a year.

Source: Daytona Beach News Journal
Photo:  Jon Goldin

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Calgary’s Original Chopper To Be Sold

Officials of the Calgary Police Service announced last month that their aging HAWCS helicopter is going to be sold, after authorities agreed that buying a replacement for the aging MD bird makes sense. "We've tried to keep HAWC1 up with new technology, but a 19-year-old helicopter has limitations," said Deputy Police Chief Dean Young. HAWC1 was purchased in 1995 and has been used in 8,700 arrests.

In April, the Calgary Police Service launched HAWC2, a state-of-the-art Eurocopter EC120 aimed at supporting the original machine, while providing police air support seven days a week. The long-term benefits of having matching aircraft include easier training and cheaper parts. Police hope to have the new HAWC3 in the air by spring 2007.

Source: Calgary Sun

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Drug Fund Used For Aircraft Purchases

The Polk County (FL) Sheriff's Office has asked county commissioners to spend $538,000 from the agency's law enforcement trust fund, a pool of money taken from drug busts and seizures, to purchase a new airplane and helicopter. The Sheriff's Office currently has six aircraft: one single-engine Cessna and five helicopters (three Bell OH-58s and two Robinson R22s).

Sheriff's officials seek to replace the aging 33-year-old Cessna 172 plane, spending about $345,000 from the fund to buy a 2006 Cessna 182T. The two Robinson R22 helicopters would be traded in for a used 2006 R44 Raven four-seater helicopter that will cost $190,000.

Source: The Ledger

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MD Helicopters Operators' Conferences Scheduled

MD Helicopters, Inc. and its customer service team will be offering regional operator’s conferences later this year. Each conference has been scheduled to create a forum for information exchange, technical review of FAA service bulletins and to generate feedback and fleet data exchange for MD operators, MD Helicopters authorized repair stations and the MD Helicopters Customer Service Team.

The schedule includes conferences in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on October 5, 2006, where the local MD authorized repair station sponsor is EM Helilogistics. The second will be held in Columbus, Ohio on October 26, 2006, sponsored by Helicopter Minit-Men.

Please contact Brian Reid at 480-522-5038 or email Brian.Reid@mdhelicopters.com or Norman Pepin at 480-346-6507 or email Norman.Pepin@mdhelicopters.com for additional information.

Photo:  Tony Zeljeznjak

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Memorial Unveiled For Sacramento Sheriff's Helicopter Pilots

One year after the helicopter crash that rocked the Sacramento County (CA) Sheriff's Department, more than 400 people gathered last month for the unveiling of a memorial to two deputies killed in the accident and a third who survived with major injuries.

The EC-120 crashed July 13, 2005, when a catastrophic engine failure forced the aircraft down into a hillside. Deputies Joseph Kievernagel, 36, and Kevin Blount, 29, were killed in the accident. The aircraft's rear passenger, Deputy Eric Henrikson, 28, suffered head trauma and broken bones in the crash and remained in a coma for more than a month.

Henrikson was on hand for the unveiling of a 10-foot, stone and metal sculpture honoring the crew of the department's Star 6 helicopter. The shape resembles the helicopter's unique tail rotor, as well as the number six with three lines symbolizing the three deputies. Through the polished bronze centerpiece, visitors can look across the lake to the exact spot where the chopper went down.

Source: KXTV-TV

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Beijing Police Purchase Three Helicopters

At a signing ceremony last month, Beijing Police bought three police helicopters, one AW139 and two A109s, all manufactured by Agusta. Beijing Police said these helicopters will mainly be used in airborne public security by patrolling, monitoring and directing, as well as surrounding the crime suspect, supporting the ground forces and counter-terrorism. Besides these missions, they will take responsibility for emergency disaster relief, medical aid, fire fighting and some of the emergency services of other governmental departments.

Source: People Daily Online

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Agency Wants City to Approve Proposal

The Topeka (KS) Police Department has asked its city council to approve money to purchase a new aircraft. The unit is currently made up of six pilots and two helicopters, but one aircraft won't fly much longer. "It's at its life expectancy's end," said Topeka Police Major Gary Herman. "The other is a 1994 model and it needs to be replaced also."

The unit had a third helicopter last year. It crashed in a training exercise in November of 2005. The majority of the estimated $650,000 the city would spend for the new helicopter would come from insurance money the city received from that crash. But for police there's no price tag on the city's security. If the police’s proposal is approved, Herman says he hopes to have the new helicopter airborne in about a month.

Source: WIBW-TV

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Omaha Requests Three New Police Choppers

Omaha (NE) Mayor Mike Fahey presented his budget to the City Council last month, and it included a request for three new police helicopters over the next four years at a price tag of $2.8 million.

Fahey said the helicopters are the officer’s eyes and ears above the ground. "We've had 14,500 assists in 2005, whether it was responding to radio calls, assisting in search and rescue efforts, police pursuits or calls from outside agencies," he said. The helicopters currently in use are from the Vietnam era, and the city is running out of parts and can't find replacement parts.

The mayor's plan is to purchase two new helicopters in 2008 and a third in 2010. No new staff would be required and the newer helicopters will require less maintenance.

Source: KETV-TV

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Louisville Police Helicopter Crashes During Training

A Louisville (KY) Metro Police helicopter crashed during training exercises, injuring one of the two pilots onboard. A mechanic and police pilot with the department were practicing landings in a field the department uses for training. The helicopter was five to 10 feet off the ground when the crash happened. The aircraft suddenly dropped, and the MD520N came to rest on its right side. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash.

Source: WAVE-TV
Photo:  WHAS-TV

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Coast Guard Strengthens Communications

Rescue 21 is a new command, control and communications system for the United States Coast Guard. It is designed to assist in search and rescue, marine environmental protection and homeland security missions along the Alabama, Mississippi and Florida coastlines. Rescue 21 includes a network of towers to help reduce coverage gaps in coastal areas and ensure more calls get through to the Coast Guard.

"The system provides a revolutionary leap in enhanced command, control, and communications capabilities," said Capt. Dan Abel, Rescue 21 Project Manager. "Given our long and proud history of standing the watch, such leading edge technology will radically improve the efficiency of search and rescue operations and offers interoperability with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, and with first responders across all rescue or homeland security missions in the coastal area," he said.

Proving its mettle following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita is the Disaster Recovery System (DRS), a critical component of Rescue 21. A fully autonomous, rapidly deployable emergency communications package, it provides voice and data connectivity if a manmade or natural disaster destroys the existing communications infrastructure. The DRS connects to the Coast Guard Data Network (CGDN+) via satellite communications.

A $730 million acquisition project and the second largest within the Coast Guard, Rescue 21 will replace the Coast Guard's aging National Distress and Response System, built during the 1970s. Once fully implemented, Rescue 21 will cover 95,000 miles of U.S. coastline and inland waterways.

Source: U.S. Coast Guard
Photo: Glenn Grossman

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Police Agency Tests Aerial Service

The San Bernardino (CA) Police Department’s new Robinson R44 helicopter started a 90-day trial period in mid-July. It will fly 40 hours a week, mostly at night. In the past, the police department has relied on the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department for aviation support, but this is the first time it has its own. In June, the City Council approved spending $97,500 on a three-month contract with California Aviation Services.

Source: San Bernardino Sun
Photo:  California Aviation Services

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Shenyang Police Rent Helicopter for Patrol Missions

The Shenyang (China) Public Security Bureau began renting a patrol helicopter last month. The helicopter, a Eurocopter EC-135, has been rented for $100,000 per month for the next two years.

"Concerned about the high cost of equipment and personnel training, we chose to rent rather than buy. This is more economical," said Chen Wanqing, a spokesman from the Shenyang Public Security Bureau. Although there are currently 20 police helicopters on the mainland, Shenyang is the one of first cities in the northeastern region of China to introduce a police helicopter.

Chen disclosed that the police bureau would like to establish its own airborne patrol squad and pick staff from former air force servicemen.

Source: China Daily

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ALEA Thanks You!

ALEA’s 36th Annual Conference & Exposition concluded in New Orleans with outstanding participation last month. The ALEA Board, Executive Committee, and staff wish to thank each of you for attending and supporting the City of New Orleans in their rebuilding efforts and this year’s annual conference. We’d especially like to recognize our sponsors for their cooperation and generosity:

AgustaWestland
American Eurocopter
Avalex Technologies
Bell Helicopter-Textron
FDC/aerofilter
FlightSafety
FLIR Systems
Genesis3 Engineering
MD Helicopters
Precision Heliparts
Rolls-Royce
Weco
Wulfsberg Electronics

This event could not take place without your continued dedication and unwavering commitment and support. Your involvement allows the national conference to consistently be an exciting educational and networking venue for our members.

For the new ALEA staff, it provided us the opportunity to meet our members, gather an understanding of your needs and better establish a professional relationship. Whether you’re a seasoned ALEA member or new to the association, we look forward to working with you in building the organization and carrying forth the ALEA mission. See you in Orlando in 2007!

From Nicole Gentile, Operations Manager, and the entire ALEA staff!

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E-mail: jthornton@alea.org 

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ALEA’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. Anyone may join our mailing list.
 

This newsletter is published monthly by the Airborne Law Enforcement Association (ALEA), a public benefit, non-profit California corporation. The ALEA is comprised of air crew and air support personnel in law enforcement and others who support, promote, and advance the safe and effective use of aircraft by law enforcement agencies.

© Copyright 2006 by the Airborne Law Enforcement 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. Opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the ALEA.

Airborne Law Enforcement Association, Inc.
411 Aviation Way
Suite 200
Frederick, MD 21701
Phone (301) 631-2406
Fax (301) 631-2466