Supporting the Fire and Rescue
Helicopter Programs

Did you know that until 2002, San Diego County remained the only major California County without a Fire and Rescue Helicopter Program? These amazing helicopters are equipped with large tanks to drop water and fire retardant on wildfires quickly, before they can spread into major disasters like San Diego County experienced in 2003 and 2007. The helicopters also carry a variety of rescue equipment to get victims cut out of damaged vehicles, and hoists to lift them up from inaccessible areas like canyons. In addition, they carry both firefighting and paramedic personnel to what can be very remote sites quickly and efficiently.

In cooperation with his colleagues at the City of San Diego, County Supervisor and SAFE Board member Ron Roberts proposed and helped design a Pilot Program through which such a specially-equipped helicopter was brought to San Diego for a 90-day and 120-day test during the fire seasons in 2002 and 2003. The cost to lease the helicopter and crew was about $1.2 million, $630,000 of which came from the San Diego SAFE. The results of the two Pilot Programs were very encouraging, and showed the Fire and Rescue Helicopter to be an important asset both for fighting wildfires and speeding help to motor vehicle victims.

During 2004 and 2005, the City of San Diego and then the County of San Diego each established a permanent Fire and Rescue Helicopter Program with one helicopter each, and since have doubled the fleet in size. Under the dispatch guidelines developed cooperatively among the agencies, these helicopters can be called into use by any public safety agency within San Diego County, and as such remain critical regional resources available to all of our cities and the unincorporated County.

SAFE has continued to help fund these life-saving helicopter programs along with the City, County and private donors such as Sunroad Enterprises. Since the first Pilot Program in 2002, SAFE has provided more than $3 million in funding.