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)

FMI: www.sikorsky.com