SDG&E to Pay the Lease of a Firefighting Helicopter for San Diego Fire-Rescue

Add Feedback

Share |

Partnership Between SDG&E and San Diego Fire-Rescue for Lease of Firefighting Helicopter

At a time when fire departments and citizens are concerned about how the economy will impact fire protection, the San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) has stepped forward to provide the residents of San Diego County with an aerial firefighting asset to protect them at an extremely low cost to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. 

According to San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, SDG&E and its parent company, Sempra Energy, have agreed to pay the full cost of leasing a S64E Helitanker from its manufacturer, Oregon-based Erickson Air-Crane, for use by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department during the 2009 wildfire season.  SDG&E will also pay the full cost of staffing for the helicopter, which has been dubbed "The Incredible Hulk".

The helicopter will be manned nine hours per day, and it will be available for daylight use only  It is capable of dropping 2650 gallons of water or fire suppressant.

When the Erickson Air-Crane S64E is dispatched to a fire, SDG&E will cover the $7500 per hour cost for the first two hours it is in use, and local fire agencies will be responsible for the balance.  This is an extremely generous gift to an area which has been hit hard by wildfires in the last several years.

When asked why his company has entered into this partnership with San Diego Fire-Rescue and Erickson Air-Crane, SDG&E Vice President David Greer said, "Really our motivation is to stop the catastrophic fires.  We work very hard at that, and we feel that this partnership we put together is a great tool to stop those catastrophic fires."

Capabilities of Erickson Air-Crane S64E Helitanker

The Erickson Air-Crane S64E Helitanker can fly for two and a half hours at a time, and can fly when other small aircraft cannot.  San Diego Fire-Rescue Deputy Chief Brian Fennessy explains, "Type 1 helicopters were introduced to the wild land fire community back in the mid-80's.  Since that time they have had probably the most dramatic effect on aerial firefighting than any other aircraft, bar none."  He says that he has been on several fires where small aircraft were grounded, but the helitankers were able to fly and  played a huge part in wildfire suppression.

With the Santa Ana winds approaching, which have historically fanned the notorious California wildfires, Fennessy and the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department feel that the use of "The Incredible Hulk" along with hand crews will help to mitigate the spread of large scale wildfires.  Expressing the feelings of all parties involved in this historic agreement, Fennessy says, "Having this available in our county for initial attack absolutely provides the kind of protection that our citizens deserve."

Related Video

San Diego Fire Rescue Uses Night Vision Technology for Aerial Firefighting