The Washoe County Sheriff's Office RAVEN helicopter assists in firefighting and search and rescue missions. Sgt. Doug Russell, RAVEN’s Chief Pilot, says the gadgets on-board are important tools in saving lives.
“We have to rely on technological means because we're not down on the street with the subjects we're helping or looking for,” says Russell.
Some of RAVEN’s most recently upgraded tech is a forward looking infra-red system. The device is heat seeking, and makes late night search and rescue missions possible.
“That helps us locate people, much like we located that missing family over at Martis Peak,” says Russell.
For crime related missions, the camera system works a bit differently. It can hone in on targeted subjects like people or vehicles on the ground. It can even take the pilot directly to a specified GPS location.
“We're zoomed in well before we're overhead and well before our ground guys get there to make sure the scene is safe for law enforcement to go into that scene,” says Russell.
Some of the other equipment on board is nothing new for air craft units; like night vision goggles to help the pilot see at night or an adjustable hoist.
“It has 250 feet of usable cable on it,” says Russell. “We can lower people down and raise them up in areas that would normally be considered inaccessible.”
During firefighting efforts, RAVEN will fly about 10 to 12 feet over a body of water. They can then throw a pump into the water to suck up over 300 gallons of water to be used for large wildland fires.
“What that allows us to do is do quick turnarounds so we can get water to firefighters where they need it,” says Russell.
Russell says in an area like Washoe County where wildfires burn right up into the urban interface, it's critical to have an asset that can respond to the danger at a moment's notice. On this summer's Perry Fire, smoke and a crowded airspace made flying a challenge for RAVEN.
Russell says thanks to a wide range of on-board radio technology, the pilot was able to keep himself and those around him safe.
