Sat, Mar 05, 2016
Recognized For Life-Saving Mission On August 14, 2015
Sikorsky has recognized the County of Los Angeles Fire Department with Sikorsky Rescue Awards for five crew members involved with lifesaving efforts. Sikorsky President Dan Schultz presented the awards to Battalion Chief Joel Harrison in a ceremony at the 2016 Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo show.
In a dramatic rescue and firefighting mission on Aug. 14, 2015, members of the Air Operations team, flying a Sikorsky S-70A Firehawk, extinguished a substantial brush fire. The blaze erupted after a pick-up truck veered off a freeway, tumbled down an embankment, and burst into flames in Simi Valley, a suburb close to Los Angeles. A rescuer, lowered by hoist, located and recovered the injured driver who had crawled up a water drain pipe to escape the flames. The crew flew the victim to a nearby hospital, where a full recovery was made.
"Our founder, Igor Sikorsky, envisioned the helicopter as a life-saving tool," said Nathalie Previte, Sikorsky Vice President, Sales & Marketing. "LA County is on the front lines each and every day as custodians of Igor's vision, meeting the critical demands of search and rescue in firefighting missions."
The S-70A Firehawk is a variant of the Sikorsky Black Hawk designed for firefighting, medical evacuation, and personnel transport. In 1957, the County of Los Angeles Fire Department became the first municipal organization to put a helicopter designed for firefighting into service. The County of Los Angeles Fire Department Aviation Unit currently has eight operational helicopters in their fleet, three of which are Sikorsky S-70A Firehawks.
(Source: Sikorsky news release. Image from LA County Fire Dept. Facebook page)
More News
From 2023 (YouTube Version): Legacy of a Titan Robert (Bob) Anderson Hoover was a fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and air show superstar. More so, Bob Hoover was an i>[...]
Get The Latest in Aviation News NOW on Instagram Are you on Instagram yet? It's been around for a few years, quietly picking up traction mostly thanks to everybody's new obsession >[...]
Aero Linx: B-52H Stratofortress The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic spee>[...]
Altimeter Setting The barometric pressure reading used to adjust a pressure altimeter for variations in existing atmospheric pressure or to the standard altimeter setting (29.92).>[...]
"Knowing that we play an active part in bettering people's lives is extremely rewarding. My team and I are very thankful for the opportunity to be here and to help in any way we ca>[...]