San Diego Fire Department To Get New Firehawk Helicopter To Fight Future Wildfires.
The City Council voted unanimously this week to spend $19.8 million to buy a firefighting helicopter, which will increase the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department's aerial fleet from two to three.
This new Firehawk helicopter is going to take our aerial firefighting capabilities to the next level.”
The Sikorsky S-70i will fly faster and carry more than twice the payload of water or retardant than the SDFRD's current choppers, which were built by Bell in 1980 and 2008, Chief Brian Fennessy said.
The council separately approved using bond revenues to fund a $13.7 million hangar for its helicopters that will include living and office space. The facility will be built at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport.
Source: Friday, December 15, 2017, By City News Service, KPBS.org