San Bernardino Sheriff to Buy New Helicopters for Patrol and Rescue

SAN BERNARDINO - San Bernardino County supervisors on Tuesday approved spending $7.8 million on three new helicopters, advancing the Sheriff's Department's plan to acquire a brand-new fleet for patrols and rescues.

"This is something that we need to move forward on to keep the county safe," 2nd District Supervisor Paul Biane said.

The Sheriff's Department has seven helicopters, including one military surplus helicopter that can't be used for patrols.

Two patrol helicopters are difficult to maintain because the company that manufactures them moved to the Netherlands. One of them has been sitting unused for several months awaiting parts.

The other four helicopters work well for patrol but cannot handle search and rescue missions at high altitudes, said Capt. Toby Tyler, who heads the Sheriff's Aviation Division.

"There are times when we don't have the helicopters to go up and do high-altitude rescue work," he said.

The new helicopters - American Eurocopter AS350-B3s that cost $2.6 million each - don't have the same limitations.

"With the B3 helicopters, we will be able to safely fly at any altitude at any time of the year," Tyler said.

The helicopters also can carry water buckets to help out during fires.

Supervisors set aside $5.2 million in contingency money to purchase two new helicopters the past year, but sheriff's officials asked the board to allocate $3.2 million from the department's budget to purchase three at once.

The department plans to sell three used helicopters after the new ones arrive. The aircraft are expected to sell for about $1.3 million.

The Sheriff's Department and county officials will have to search for ways to buy three more for another $7.8 million after the new ones arrive in the spring.

Once the last three are delivered, the Sheriff's Department will sell the rest of its used helicopters.

Tyler said the department needs six helicopters because the aircraft are rotated in and out of service when they are down for routine maintenance or repairs.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department, in comparison, has four patrol helicopters.

Sheriff's helicopters operate two shifts in the San Bernardino Valley and one in the High Desert. But Tyler said more shifts could be added after the new helicopters arrive.

Posted 02/08/2005